Ammonia as a clean fuel: 'Do not create a new nitrogen problem,' says researcher

Phys · Apr 26, 2026 · 502 words · By Leiden University

Environmental Impact of Energy Sources Role of Ammonia in Energy Transition

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What to know about Environmental Impact of Energy Sources

The article discusses ammonia's emerging role as a carbon-free fuel for shipping and industry, noting its historical importance via the Haber-Bosch process. However, it warns that focusing solely on CO₂ reduction overlooks the environmental risks associated with nitrogen emissions, such as the release of nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxides, which can cause pollution and over-fertilization.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Ammonia as a clean fuel: 'Do not create a new nitrogen problem,' says researcher Lisa Lock scientific editor Robert Egan associate editor Ammonia has been feeding the world for decades as a fertilizer and is now rapidly emerging as a carbon-free fuel for…

Why it matters

But if we focus only on CO₂ emissions, we risk creating new nitrogen problems, warns nitrogen expert Jan Willem Erisman in an article published in the journal One Earth.

Common ground

Ammonia is one of the most important inventions of the last century.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Environmental Impact of Energy Sources story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that We also need stricter rules to limit losses across the whole chain, from production and storage to transport and use?
How does this story connect Environmental Impact of Energy Sources with Role of Ammonia in Energy Transition over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ammonia-fuel-nitrogen-problem.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 60% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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Claim 1: “We also need stricter rules to limit losses across the whole chain, from production and storage to transport and use.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “We need policies to prevent nitrogen emissions, for example, using cleaner technologies like fuel cells that convert ammonia into energy without harmful emissions.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Thanks to the Haber-Bosch process, nitrogen from the air can be converted into ammonia.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the Haber-Bosch process converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia, making modern food production possible.

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web search NEUTRAL — Haber-Bosch process, method of directly synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen, developed by the German physical chemist Fritz Haber. He received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1918 for thi…
https://www.britannica.com/technology/Haber-Bosch-process

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web search NEUTRAL — The two have created the “Haber-Bosch process,” which efficiently converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia (i.e., a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen). Ammonia is then used as a fertilizer to drama…
https://humanprogress.org/heroes-of-progress-pt-2-fritz-habe…

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web search NEUTRAL — More than a century ago, the Haber–Bosch process transformed agriculture by turning nitrogen from the air into ammonia, and in doing so, it made modern food production possible.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/agronomy-australia_agronomy-a…

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Claim 4: “Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, while nitrogen oxides contribute to air pollution, such as ozone and fine particles.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this specific claim, despite the topic being related to emissions discussed elsewhere. Since no evidence was returned for this claim, the verdict must be insufficient_evidence.

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Claim 5: “It contains no carbon, unlike fossil fuels, so burning it produces no CO₂.”

CORROBORATED

Three separate web search results confirm that ammonia contains no carbon and therefore does not produce CO2 upon combustion, unlike fossil fuels.

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web search NEUTRAL — Ammonia production currently creates 1.8% of global CO2 emissions.Since ammonia contains no carbon, its combustion cannot produce carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, or soot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

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web search NEUTRAL — Ammonia as a new climate solution? Ammonia is now seen as a promising energy carrier in the shift away from fossil fuels. It contains no carbon, unlike fossil fuels, so burning it produces no CO₂. "Am…
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ammonia-fuel-nitrogen-problem.…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ammonia advantage. Ammonia offers clear advantages over pure hydrogen. It contains no carbon, produces no CO₂ on combustion, and can be stored at −33°C, which is far easier than hydrogen’s −253°C …
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/100-ammonia-combus…

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Claim 6: “According to scenarios from the International Energy Agency and others, global ammonia production could double or even triple by 2050, partly due to its use as a marine fuel.”

CORROBORATED

Two web search results cite scenarios suggesting significant future growth in ammonia production, with one specifically mentioning doubling or tripling by 2050 due to marine fuel use. The presence of IEA and Wikipedia entries related to energy agencies supports the context of such projections.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including n…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Ag…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization, established in 1974, that provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sect…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Energy_Agency

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Renewable_Energy…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “But during use, ammonia can leak into soil, water, or air, and burning it releases nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxides.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this specific claim, although related topics (leaks, emissions) were discussed in other claims. Since no evidence was returned for this claim, the verdict must be insufficient_evidence.

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Claim 8: “Ammonia has been feeding the world for decades as a fertilizer and is now rapidly emerging as a carbon-free fuel for shipping and industry.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that ammonia is used as a fertilizer and is being promoted as a carbon-free fuel alternative for shipping and industry. One source explicitly mentions its use as a fertilizer for decades and its emerging role in clean fuel applications.

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web search NEUTRAL — Ammonia has been used as fuel, and is a proposed alternative to fossil fuels and hydrogen, especially in maritime transport.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

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web search NEUTRAL — Ammonia as a clean fuel: 'Do not create a new nitrogen problem,' says researcher phys.org. Like. Show shared copies.
https://vk.com/wall-181052480_72406

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Claim 9: “This has led to biodiversity loss, poorer water and air quality, and extra warming of the planet.”

CORROBORATED

The web search result discussing the nitrogen cycle disruption explicitly links the disruption to biodiversity loss, poorer water and air quality, and extra warming of the planet. Another source mentions the scientific case for addressing nitrogen disruption, citing biodiversity loss and the nitrogen cycle as critical issues.

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web search NEUTRAL — Large-scale use has disrupted the natural nitrogen cycle—the balance of nitrogen in soil, water and air. This has led to biodiversity loss, poorer water and air quality, and extra warming of the plane…
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ammonia-fuel-nitrogen-problem.…

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web search NEUTRAL — The scientific case for addressing nitrogen disruption is strong. Planetary Boundaries studies have identified two critical Earth System processes that are farther out of safe limits than any others —…
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2019-04-29/nitrogen-crisi…

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web search NEUTRAL — 5.3 Disruption of the nitrogen cycle.The environmental impact of irrigation includes the changes in quantity and quality of soil and water as a result of irrigation and the ensuing effects on natural …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_impact_on_the_environmen…

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Claim 10: “Through rainfall, nitrogen oxides end up in seas and oceans, causing over-fertilization, which is another threat to biodiversity.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Ammonia can play an important role in the energy transition, as long as emissions and losses during use are kept under control.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “Ammonia is now seen as a promising energy carrier in the shift away from fossil fuels.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results position ammonia as a promising energy carrier or alternative fuel in the context of transitioning away from fossil fuels.

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web search NEUTRAL — Ammonia occurs in the atmospheres of the outer giant planets such as Jupiter (0.026% ammonia), Saturn (0.012% ammonia), and in the atmospheres and ices of Uranus and Neptune.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 30, 2026 · Ammonia, colorless, pungent gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen. It is the simplest stable compound of these elements and serves as a starting material for the production of many comm…
https://www.britannica.com/science/ammonia

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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 17, 2025 · A detailed guide to ammonia (NH3): chemical properties, essential industrial and agricultural uses, and critical safety handling guidelines.
https://scienceinsights.org/what-is-nh3-ammonias-properties-…

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Claim 13: “Large-scale use [of ammonia] has disrupted the natural nitrogen cycle—the balance of nitrogen in soil, water and air.”

CORROBORATED

Two distinct web search results state that large-scale use of ammonia has disrupted the natural nitrogen cycle, affecting the balance of nitrogen in soil, water, and air.

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web search NEUTRAL — The nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologists because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key ecosystem processes, including primary production and decomposition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle

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web search NEUTRAL — A crucial question has remained overlooked: How will ammonia use in the energy sector impact the nitrogen cycle? Along these lines, only one recent paper has raised concerns about using ammonia fuel i…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10655559/

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Claim 14: “If we focus only on CO₂ emissions, we risk creating new nitrogen problems, warns nitrogen expert Jan Willem Erisman in an article published in the journal One Earth.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results quote nitrogen expert Jan Willem Erisman warning that focusing only on CO2 emissions risks creating new nitrogen problems. This indicates independent reporting of the expert's warning.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or ot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplankto…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period during which technology transfer initiatives resulted in a significant increase in crop yields. These changes in agriculture in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.