The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, said on Sept. 15 it has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the effectiveness of a new solar-based, small-scale ammonia production process aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Because the process lends itself to decentralized fertilizer production, the researchers hope to bring the technology to local farming communities, further cutting environmental costs by reducing transportation requirements. As part of the four-year project, the team hopes to also develop a training program to allow local farms to produce their own ammonia and fertilizers.