The Current Column

Towards more resilient and sustainable agri-food systems

Electrolysis-based nitrogen fertilisers as a promising innovation in Africa

Stamm, Andreas / Christine Bosch / Fernanda Nan
The Current Column (2026)

Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 30 March 2026

Bonn, 30 March 2026. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz highlights the vulnerability of global fertiliser supply chains. Hydrogen technologies allow the local production with renewable energy.

In March 2026, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by Israel and the USA. If this closure persists, serious consequences for the global economy are inevitable, given the strait’s importance for oil and gas transport and resulting price hikes. Less attention has been paid to date to implications for food production and food security in the Global South, especially Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, but also Brazil. The looming problem is linked to fertiliser supply, particularly nitrogen. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential macronutrients, with N fertilisers being most important, both globally and in Africa. Global supply chains for P and K rely on deposits in Morocco and Canada, respectively, but nitrogen fertilisers do not originate in natural deposits. Before the 20th century, sources like manure, compost, guano and Chilean saltpetre were utilised for supplying crops with nitrogen. However, these sources were limited and insufficient to cater to the needs of a growing world population.

A crucial innovation was the Haber-Bosch process (HBP), developed in the early 20th century. Today, 98% of ammonia is produced this way, which allowed for huge increases in yields. The process synthesises ammonia (NH₃) from hydrogen (H₂) and nitrogen (N₂). Whereas nitrogen is easily obtained via Direct Separation of Air, this is not feasible for hydrogen, as atmospheric concentration of H₂ is very low. Instead, steam methane reforming (SMR) dominates, processing natural gas with steam under high pressure and temperature to yield H₂ and releasing CO₂. While effective for decades, this fossil-based pathway is no longer future-proof.

Nearly all ammonia production depends on natural gas and the traditional HBP, creating two problems. First, greenhouse gas emissions from conventional N-fertiliser production have to be lowered as part of industrial decarbonisation strategies. Second, very long supply chains go from only around 500 NH₃ plants in the world, tied to gas fields or pipelines to import ports and from there to the farm gate. How vulnerable these supply chains are, can currently be observed. In addition, price fluctuations for natural gas directly affect fertiliser affordability, as seen in the early 2020s and again today.

Africa as an under-fertilised region

Global fertiliser use rose from 55 kg/ha in 1972 to 134 kg/ha in 2022, but regional differences are stark. In 2022, East Asia applied on average 321 kg/ha, Latin America 187, and the EU 124. Application rates in Sub-Saharan Africa remained extremely low at an average of 18 kg/ha, up from 10 in 1972. Data from the FAO show that Africa has the lowest food security of any world region. Causes include conflicts, disasters, climate change, and COVID-19, but low fertiliser use may add to long-term food insecurity. Poor plant nutrition reduces yields, nutritional content, and biomass for soil health. In addition, declining soil fertility may drive land expansion and deforestation.

Two African Union (AU) declarations addressed this: the Abuja Declaration (2006) set a target of 50 kg/ha by 2015, which was clearly missed. The Draft Nairobi Declaration (2024) reiterated the goal, embedding it in broader soil health strategies and referring to both mineral and organic fertilisers.

Technological innovations which may lead to local ammonia production and reduce dependency of farmers from international supply chains

A way forward may be decentralised, climate-neutral ammonia production based on electrified HBP fed by renewable energies. These solutions have achieved high technological readiness, and a first plant of this type has been implemented on an export-oriented large farm in Kenya. Research implies that these solutions may become cost competitive in a few years and contribute significantly to food security, especially in “under-fertilised” African countries.

Another technology currently being developed, though still at an early stage of readiness, is the recovery of ammonia from wastewater. This approach holds promise not only for generating ammonia but also for mitigating a growing challenge in many African countries: the eutrophication of water bodies caused by excessive nitrogen inputs into surface and groundwater, a problem exacerbated by rapid population growth.

Small-scale ammonia projects, for instance in the mode of public private partnerships, may be linked to e.g. cooperatives or rural villages. Development programmes could integrate these innovations with agricultural development and soil health initiatives, as proposed in the Nairobi Declaration. In addition, electrolysis-based ammonia is a nearly climate-neutral product, but remains difficult and potentially hazardous to handle, transport and store. This should be addressed through related programmes of capacity building, standardisation, and quality assurance.

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Dr Andreas Stamm is a geographer and senior researcher in the research department “Transformation of Economic and Social Systems” of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).

Dr Christine Bosch is an agricultural economist and is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development at the Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute of the University of Hohenheim.

Fernanda Nan is an International Business Professional with specialisations in Law, Sustainability, Compliance -Auditing Standards, Circular Economy Agribusiness and Energy. She is guest lecturer for the seminar “Accountability, Ethics, and Governance” at Hochschule Osnabrück, Germany, and teaches “Global Sustainability Business” at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Montevideo (UM).