Nitrogenase: Enabling Solar-Powered Ammonia

R&D Focus Areas:
Biological hydrogen production, Direct hydrogen carrier production

Lead Organisation:
CSIRO

Partners:
Not applicable

Status:
Active

Start date:
July 2019

Completion date:
February 2027

Key contacts:
Trevor Rapson: trevor.rapson@csiro.au

Funding:
CSIRO – Hydrogen Energy Systems Future Science Platform (2019-2022)
CSIRO – Impossible without you program (2022-2025)
CSIRO – Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems (2024-2027)

Project total cost:
AUD$880,000 – Hydrogen FSP
AUD $927,240 – RESS FSP
AUD $927,240 – IWY

Project summary description:
Nature uses nitrogenase as a key component of its process to fix nitrogen from the air using energy from the sun. This project builds on CSIRO’s nitrogenase engineering expertise to lay the foundation for a technology that generates ammonia (and hydrogen) using air, water, and sunshine — all at ambient conditions.

Related publications and key links:
Rapson TD, Gregg CM, Allen, RS, Ju, HK, Doherty, C.M, Mulet, X, Giddey, S, Wood, CC Insights into nitrogenase bioelectrocatalysis for green ammonia production ChemSusChem (2020) 13, 4856-4865 https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cssc.202001433

Rapson TD, Wood, CC Analysis of the ammonia production rates by nitrogenase Catalysts (2022) 12, 844, https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/12/8/844

Wiskich A, Rapson TD Economics of emerging ammonia fertilizer production methods (2023) e202300565, https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cssc.202300565

CSIRO ‘Future Science Platforms: Hydrogen Energy Systems’: Solar Powered Enzymes – Hydrogen Energy Systems (csiro.au)

Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable

 

Reviewed: July 2024