Project description
Direct electrochemical ammonia synthesis using renewable electricity sources
Ammonia is the foundation of nearly all nitrogen-based fertilisers. Approximately 80 % to 90 % of global ammonia production is used in agriculture. Ammonia is typically produced via the high-pressure, high-temperature continuous Haber-Bosch process. Building on the Horizon Europe project VERGE, the EIC-funded EASY project aims to advance its sustainable alternative, demonstrate its agricultural feasibility on an experimental farm, and prepare for entry into the fertilisers and e-fuels markets. Compatible with renewable electricity sources, the intermittent, direct, electrochemical ammonia synthesis process produces ammonia from air and water under ambient conditions. Optimisation via design-of-experiments, machine learning and computational fluid dynamics simulations will deliver electrocatalysis methods and an electrocell design to decarbonise ammonia production.
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.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis electrocatalysis
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2025-TRANSITIONOPEN
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
112 Reykjavik
Iceland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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