Scientists use lightning to make ammonia out of thin air, could boost transition to hydrogen-based economy

The plasma column used to kickstart the process for 'green ammonia' Credit: PJ Cullen

Scientists in Australia have found a new way to make ammonia using just air and electricity. This new method is clean, simple, and could help the world reduce pollution and grow more food in a better way. The team behind this discovery is from the University of Sydney.

They are using a special form of electricity, similar to lightning, to turn air into ammonia gas. This method doesn’t need coal, oil, or gas. It also doesn’t need huge factories. That makes it good for the environment and useful in many different places.

Ammonia is very important in our daily life. It is the main part of most fertilisers, which help crops grow. Nearly half of all the food we eat is grown with the help of ammonia-based fertilisers. But the problem is that making ammonia the usual way creates a lot of pollution.

The current process is called the Haber-Bosch process. It was invented over 100 years ago. It uses a lot of energy and burns fossil fuels like natural gas. This causes large amounts of carbon dioxide, which adds to climate change. At the moment, about 90 percent of the world’s ammonia is made this way. That’s why scientists have been searching for a cleaner and safer option.

The new method developed by the Sydney team is much better for the planet. It uses electricity to “excite” the air, just like how lightning does during a storm. These excited air molecules are then passed through a special device called a membrane-based electrolyser. Inside this small silver box, the air is changed into ammonia gas. What makes this method special is that it creates ammonia in gas form directly. Other similar methods made liquid ammonia first, which then needed more steps and more energy to change into gas. This new way saves time and power.

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But the use of ammonia isn’t just about farming. It can also help with clean energy. Ammonia contains three hydrogen atoms. That means it can store hydrogen fuel inside it. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest types of fuel we know. When you use hydrogen, it only creates water — no smoke or pollution. But it’s very hard to carry and store hydrogen on its own. Ammonia makes this easier. We can store the hydrogen inside the ammonia, move it where it’s needed, and then take it out again when we want to use it. That’s why ammonia is getting a lot of attention from industries.

One such industry is shipping. Big cargo ships use diesel fuel today, and that causes a lot of pollution. In fact, ships create around 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. But if ships used ammonia instead, the pollution would be much lower. If they can also make that ammonia without burning fossil fuels, like with this new method, then the impact would be even better for the planet.

Professor PJ Cullen, who led the team, said they have already made the first part of the system energy efficient. That means it uses less power. Now, they are working on improving the second part — the electrolyser — to make the whole method even more effective. Their dream is to make this technology low-cost, easy to use, and possible anywhere — on farms, near ports, or even in remote areas.

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This could really change how the world makes fertiliser and uses hydrogen fuel. Imagine a farmer in a village making his own fertiliser using just solar power and air. Or a clean fuel station in a small town that makes its own ammonia for transport use. Today, most of the world depends on big, centralised factories that are far away. With this new system, we could make ammonia locally, in small units, using renewable energy like sunlight or wind.

Ammonia has a long and strange history. In the past, people collected it from bird droppings. Later, when demand grew, scientists invented the Haber-Bosch process to make it in labs and factories. That helped feed billions of people. But it also created a lot of pollution. Now, with this new lightning-powered method, we might have found a way to keep the good and remove the bad. We can still make the fertilisers we need, but without harming the earth.

The most amazing thing about this discovery is how simple it is. It takes what already exists in nature — air and electricity — and turns it into something useful. And because the technology is small and doesn’t need huge machines, it can be used in many places. It can help farmers, energy companies, and even governments who want to reduce emissions and switch to clean energy.

This is not just about saving money or making things faster. It’s about building a better future — one where food can be grown in a clean way and energy can be stored and used without hurting the environment. If this technology keeps improving, it could become a regular part of life in the next few years. People everywhere could use it to make fertiliser or store hydrogen safely.

The team in Sydney has shown us that big changes don’t always need big machines. Sometimes, all you need is the right idea, a little spark — and the power of lightning.