Electrocatalytic Ammonia SYnthesis

Objective

The EASY project will advance the Atmonia process, a sustainable and intermittent ammonia production process from TRL3 to TRL6. This process offers an alternative to the carbon-intensive Haber-Bosch (HB) process. Moving from high-pressure high-temperature industrial and continuous HB process, the Atmonia process applies direct electrochemical ammonia synthesis (EAS) from air and water under ambient conditions, thus compatible with intermittent renewable electricity. It’s modular deployment sets a new benchmark for safe, sustainable, and decentralized ammonia production. Building on the Horizon Europe project VERGE, which demonstrated a proof-of-concept NRR-based ammonia production in an electrocatalytic flow cell (TRL3), EASY will optimize the process parameters in the 10 cm² cell and scale it to a 400 cm² prototype. In parallel, the project will advance separation and concentration units for ammonium sulphate and phosphate and validate agricultural feasibility on an experimental farm. By its conclusion, EASY will deliver a TRL 6 system and prepare a business plan and regulatory framework for hybrid market entry into the fertilizers and e-fuels markets, which are projected to have demands of 200 Mt/year and 120 Mt/year by 2035, respectively. EASY will achieve these objectives through electrocatalysis optimization using design-of-experiments and machine learning, combined with electrocell optimization via CFD simulations. This methodology accelerates performance improvements while targeting 32 MWh/t NH₃ for niche markets and ultimately 12 MWh/t for large-scale competitiveness. A world-class consortium spanning chemistry, materials, engineering, agriculture, business, and policy will bridge the final gap to commercialization. EASY supports the Green Deal, REPowerEU, Fit for 55, the EU Hydrogen Strategy, and the Net-Zero Industry Act, contributing to decarbonized chemical production, secure fertilizer and fuel supply chains, and strengthened EU resilience.