Agriculture chemical company CF Industries is teaming with the world’s top corn-ethanol producer on a low-carbon ammonia fertilizer to reduce the biofuel’s carbon footprint and meet U.S. sustainable fuel standards.
CF will jointly develop the low-carbon fertilizer with biofuel manufacturer POET LLC, targeting this fall for the first fertilizer applications and spring of 2025 for subsequent applications. Farmers can participate in the pilot if they supply corn to POET’s bioprocessing facilities in Bingham Lake, Minnesota; Emmetsburg, Iowa; Fairmont, Nebraska; and North Manchester, Indiana.
Lowering the carbon footprint of fertilizers will be key for farmers if they want to access new revenue opportunities in the emerging biofuels market. To qualify for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits, for example, corn growers will be required to use enhanced efficiency fertilizers and implement other climate-smart practices.
The POET partnership will at first leverage green ammonia produced at CF Industries’ Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana, which eliminates carbon dioxide emissions in the hydrogen production process through use of an electrolyzer.
CF plans to make additional low-carbon ammonia available at the Donaldsonville Complex next year, which is when a large-scale carbon capture and sequestration project is set to begin.
“Fertilizers manufactured with a lower carbon intensity provide a quantifiable and certifiable method of decarbonizing bioethanol inputs,” Bert Frost, executive vice president, sales, supply chain and market development, CF Industries, said in a statement. “We look forward to demonstrating these benefits not just for ethanol production but for corn growers as well.”