FuelPositive announces US$1.9million Government of Canada funding commitment

FuelPositive Corporation has announced that it will receive a funding grant of up to US$1.9 million through the research and innovation stream of the agriculture clean technology (ACT) programme, delivered by agriculture and agri-food canada (AAFC).

AAFC has made this significant commitment to FuelPositive’s “green NH3 demonstration phase project” in support of the commercialisation of the FP300 green ammonia system.

The funding provided through the ACT programme will help the Company gather the information needed to continue to adapt its technology to the commercial needs of farmers. The green ammonia demonstration phase consists of building and testing three green ammonia demonstration systems. Each system represents an improvement to the intellectual property and technological advancement over the previous system, bringing the Company closer to achieving its efficient and sustainable, large-scale production objectives.

Ammonia is essential for global food security. Today, approximately 80% of the ammonia produced goes towards the world's fertilizer needs. While ammonia is vital to feeding the world’s growing population, the current ammonia industry, which primarily produces grey ammonia, is highly carbon-intensive. As the world strives to achieve global food security utilising grey ammonia fertilizers, it simultaneously pollutes the environment needed to grow food. This dilemma, in addition to unpredictable pricing and supply uncertainty, has frustrated and confounded farmers and governments alike.

Until now, grey ammonia production was exclusively produced with fossil fuels. As a result, for every ton of grey ammonia produced, 1.8 to 2.7 tons of harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are released into the atmosphere. Grey ammonia is then transported, often across continents, oceans, countries and cities, and finally to a distributor, before finding its way to each customer’s location. This current distribution process adds additional cost and substantial GHG emissions to an already carbon-intensive grey ammonia production process.

FuelPositive’s decentralised green ammonia production takes fossil fuels out of the equation. FuelPositive’s green ammonia system consists of a nitrogen generator to produce nitrogen from the air, an electrolyser to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water and a patent-pending green ammonia synthesis converter that operates with sustainable sources of electricity, eliminating the need for fossil fuels.

“Investments in clean technology help farmers face the challenges of today—from drought to extreme weather—and position the industry for a more resilient future. This new investment in FuelPositive builds on work already underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing the productivity and profit for our farmers, ” commented Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo, said: “FuelPositive, a Waterloo-based company, is leading the way in clean technology. Their green ammonia production system is a shining example of Canadian ingenuity in action and has received Government of Canada funding. This viable and sustainable solution is exactly the type of innovation farmers and our planet need.”

Ian Clifford, CEO and Chair of FuelPositive stated, “We are very proud that FuelPositive has been selected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as one of the leaders in clean agriculture technology and innovation, aiming to reduce greenhouse gases in Canada. Clifford concluded, “After a thorough selection process, we were overjoyed to learn that FuelPositive’s new technology was awarded a significant contribution by the Government of Canada. The recognition of the critical importance of a decentralized approach to Green Ammonia production, a key farm input, speaks volumes to the alignment between the federal government and FuelPositive and our mutual desire to provide solutions for Canadian farmers. Meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and providing global food security are priorities.”

Jeanne Milne, FuelPositive’s Senior Government Relations Advisor added, “This funding will accelerate getting the FP300 system to market. Our iterative technological approach allows FuelPositive to adapt to meet farmers’ needs. The Government of Canada’s vote of confidence is a testament to our shared dedication and commitment to make agriculture cleaner and Canada healthier.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/12102023/fuelpositive-announces-us19-million-government-of-canada-funding-commitment/