The globe’s anhydrous ammonia gas is used to produce nitrogen fertilizer in the world’s about 80%, and the production of synthetic ammonia in the world will be 180 million tons in 2022, where 31% is used in China (55.8 million tons). Using the case of planting corn in the United States, applying 200-300 kg of liquid ammonia (NH₃) per hectare of land will increase the yield by 35% and increase the yield of one season by $420 / hectare. India through the ammonia alkali process of urea production occupies 67% of the country’s arable land, fertilizer is 28% less expensive than importation, which stimulates food production growth of 4.2% per year.
Industrial refrigeration is the second largest usage scenario, ammonia refrigerant (GWP=0) holds 40% of the globe’s industrial cold storage system, its unit cooling capacity energy consumption is 15%-20% lower than freon. In 2023, Brazil’s largest meatpacker JBS Group retrofitted 12 cold storages as ammonia refrigeration units, reducing the power usage per plant a year from 18 million degrees to 15.3 million degrees, and saving $2.7 million. Ammonia refrigerant has a 1.2kW/ton cooling capacity at a -33.34°C evaporation temperature, which can be used for the ultra-low temperature cold chain at -45°C, and the ammonia system accounts for 58% of the global seafood freezing logistics.
anhydrous ammonia gas is the primary raw material used in chemical production to produce nitric acid, and 0.29 tons of liquid ammonia are consumed per ton of nitric acid. China Yantai Wanhua Chemical MDI production line in 2024 will consume 450,000 tons of ammonia per year to maintain its 24% global polyurethane market share. In the production of urea, the conversion rate of ammonia in Stamicabon process is able to reach 98%, and a single unit consumes 480,000 tons of liquid ammonia with a 800,000 tons per year production of urea, which accounts for 62% of the cost.
The market utilizes ammonia for pH adjustment and denitrification. Hyperion Los Angeles, USA, wastewater treatment plant dosing 0.8 tons/day of ammonia to reduce the concentration of total nitrogen in effluent from 28 mg/L to 3 mg/L, meeting EPA Class A requirements and reducing operating costs by $1.9 million annually. In the SCR denitrification process, power plants must use 0.28 tons of ammonia to reduce 1 ton of NOx emission. China Huaneng Group will buy 920,000 tons of liquid ammonia in 2023, increasing denitrification efficiency from 85% to 93%, and annual carbon quota income by 740 million yuan.
Some of the industries include the electronics industry (annual demand of wafer cleaning ammonia increased by 12%) and pharmaceutical synthesis (synthesis of cephalosporin antibiotics using an ammonia consumption of 0.15 tons/ton of products). Norway’s Yara International reduced its carbon intensity of emissions from 2.1 tons CO₂/ ton of ammonia to 0.45 tons through the Green Ammonia project (water electrolysis hydrogen production), with a 2025 production capacity of 1.2 million tons per year and receiving a 320 million euros subsidy from the EU. According to ICIS figures, since 2023 the international liquid spot price for ammonia is around $450-780 / ton and the production of new energy-driven green ammonia has been anticipated to fall down below $300 / ton in the year 2030.