Photocatalytic Conversion of Nitrogen to Ammonia for On-Site Fertilizer Production

Objective

Photonia aims to decarbonise and decentralise nitrogen fertiliser production by local solar-driven processes, thus minimizing the environmental impact and enhancing the accessibility of fertilisers. The radical new concept for ammonium synthesis converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium nitrate using solar energy. The technology concept leverages innovations in photochemistry and photocatalysis to boost the nitrogen circular economy, define the roadmap toward the decentralized production of fertilizers and maximize the solar spectrum utilization in agriculture. In the scope of this project, we aim at TRL4 by tackling the application scenario in horticulture, where the Photonia panels could be installed in greenhouses to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium nitrate using solar light.