Jiangnan Environmental turns coal plant emissions into affordable fertilizer
Using ammonia to capture CO2 and SO2, then converting into crop-boosting fertilizer.
Jiangnan Environmental Technology (JNG) has developed a process that captures carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide from coal power plant flue gas using ammonia, then converts the chemicals directly into fertilizer. Unlike traditional carbon capture and storage (CCS) which requires expensive geological storage, JNG's method sells the captured emissions as a marketable product. The company claims the resulting fertilizer can boost crop yields compared to conventional alternatives, while simultaneously reducing the net cost of carbon capture. This approach could make both industrial decarbonization and food production more affordable.
According to a report in China Electric Power News, the system is described as 'flue gas enters from one end of the pipe, and fertilizer comes out from the other end.' The technology addresses two major challenges: the high cost of CCS and the environmental impact of coal combustion. By turning waste emissions into a valuable agricultural input, JNG provides an economic incentive for power plants to adopt carbon capture. If scaled, this could significantly lower the financial barrier to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, while also lowering fertilizer prices for farmers globally.
- JNG uses ammonia to capture both CO2 and SO2 from coal flue gas, converting them into fertilizer.
- The process offsets carbon capture costs by selling the fertilizer as a marketable product.
- The resulting fertilizer reportedly boosts crop yields compared to conventional fertilizers.
Why It Matters
Makes carbon capture economically viable while reducing fertilizer costs for global agriculture.