Episode
#156: Ammonia: The Compound That Could Power a Cleaner Planet with Ammobia
- Podcast
- Earthlings 2.0 Podcast
- Published
- Apr 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2278
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0 , we sit down with Karen Baert, CEO and co-founder of Ammobia, to unpack the role ammonia plays in modern society and how it could evolve into a cleaner fuel and energy carrier. As one of the most produced chemicals in the world and a key input to global agriculture, ammonia underpins food systems while also contributing significantly to global emissions due to its energy-intensive production process. The conversation explores ammonia’s potential as a maritime shipping fuel, its role as an energy carrier, and the technical breakthroughs enabling more efficient production. Karen explains how Ammobia is reengineering ammonia production to reduce cost, energy use, and emissions — a solution that also won them the top prize at Women in Cleantech & Sustainability’s Pitch Competition in 2025 . We also discussed this topic in different capacities in a few previous episodes. You can watch or listen here: #98 - Beyond Organic: Understanding Regenerative Agriculture with UnderstandingAg #140 - The Circular Economy of Chemicals and Carbon Emissions with CERT Systems Key Points: Ammonia sits at the center of both food and energy systems – More than half of global food production depends on ammonia-based fertilizers, and new use cases in shipping and energy could significantly expand its role in the global economy. Lower pressure production could unlock decentralization – Ammobia’s approach reduces pressure requirements by up to 10x, improving efficiency and enabling smaller, modular plants that can be deployed closer to end users. Energy trade could shift toward molecules rather than electrons – Countries with abundant renewable resources could export energy globally as ammonia, reshaping how energy is produced, transported, and consumed. Kare…