China Converts Coal Plant Emissions to Fertilizer

Jiangnan Environmental Technology in China transforms coal power plant exhaust into fertilizer. The company uses ammonia to capture sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide from burning coal. These captured chemicals then become fertilizer, which the firm claims boosts crop yields.

The process avoids expensive carbon burial. Liquefying and storing carbon underground requires specific geology and substantial costs. JNG’s method offsets capture costs by selling the resulting fertilizer.

The project, reported by China Electric Power News, involves piping flue gas into a system that produces fertilizer at the other end. While the report details the process, it does not specify the scale of production or the long-term environmental impacts of using this fertilizer. Further testing and wider implementation are needed.