Emphasis on green ammonia hailed

An article in the Business Line newspaper has hailed the hyphenation of green ammonia with green hydrogen in the first tranch of the Green Hydrogen policy, announced on Feb 17 by the Union Power Minister, Mr R K Singh.

The article is by far the only one that has taken due note of the government's emphasis on green ammonia; all other newspapers and media have focused on G-H2, completely ignoring green ammonia.

The article argues that a green ammonia unit linked to green hydrogen, provides a ready market for G-H2. Ammonia is much easier to store and transport and, though its primary use is in the manufacture of fertilizers, it has wide and multiple applications.

Atmanirbhar possibility now

The article further notes that till date India had no option but to import, because ammonia is typically manufactured with natural gas (hydrogen source), and India has very little natural gas.

However, when domestic G-H2 is produced, it provides an alternative source of hydrogen for the Haber-Bosch process, which forces hydrogen and nitrogen to combine, under high temperature (450 Degrees C) and pressure (200 bars). At last, India has a chance to be self-reliant in ammonia and hence in fertilizers. Hence the hyphenation of green ammonia with G-H2.

But really, the green ammonia would be the greenest only if the electricity supplied for the Haber-Bosch process also comes from renewable sources.