Unveiled: A novel form of hydrogen with the potential to eradicate global food scarcity.
In the heart of Chile's Araucanía region, a pioneering project is underway that could revolutionise the global agriculture industry and contribute significantly to the energy transition. Led by COMASA H2V, this initiative focuses on the development of two types of green fertilizers: one based on hydrogen and the other on green ammonia for slow and efficient nitrogen release.
The project takes advantage of agricultural and forestry biomass waste, utilising by-products such as bio-ash and CO2 in the production of renewable energy. The ammonia, combined with bio-ash (rich in nutrients) generated as a residue from the energy production process, offers a unique nutritional and functional contribution to the fertilizers.
This development is considered a great advance, according to Eduardo Figueroa, director regional of CORFO Araucanía. The goal of the project is to replace imported conventional fertilizers, reducing economic and environmental costs. Researchers María Eugenia González and Mara Cea from the Universidad de La Frontera are involved in the project, and the outcome has led to the establishment of a company focused on producing sustainable fertilizers using green hydrogen.
The production of better fertilizers from green hydrogen could contribute to lowering world hunger levels. This aligns with the National H2V Strategy and the objective of the project is to advance in the validation of the product at the laboratory level and to consolidate a semi-industrial scale laboratory. The main concern is to activate the local industry and the proliferation of large-scale, established-demand applications.
Meanwhile, another green fertilizer is based on green CO2, to correct soil acidity and optimize its quality. This new type of fertilizer, being developed in the region of Murcia, Spain, could potentially alleviate hunger. The International Fund for Agricultural Development issued a warning in 2021 about the danger of biodiversity loss to small farmers and the fight against hunger.
The use of these green fertilizers emphasizes the key role that hydrogen plays in the current energy transition. As we move towards a more sustainable future, projects like these in Araucanía and Murcia could pave the way for a greener, more efficient, and more equitable agricultural industry.
