Chemical and fertiliser company Yara has launched a company to produce “green” ammonia. Called HEGRA, the new company will start by electrifying and decarbonising an ammonia plant in Herøya, Norway using renewable energy to generate ammonia to be used in carbon-free fertiliser.

Focusing on innovating with already existing technology, HEGRA focuses on how this technology can be used to create new products. As ammonia and fertiliser production already have established infrastructures, powering those infrastructures with renewable energy using hydropower can both produce a renewable fertiliser product and quickly supply this product to farmers at scale.

In Australia, Yara is also working with ENGIE–a French multinational utility company–to develop a plant that will produce renewable hydrogen and ammonia. This project is also funded by the Australian government, showing that sustainable action in line with future regulation can lead to beneficial collaborations between both companies and governments.