Ammonium nitrate: Emissions
The nitrous oxide hidden in every bag
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 2.00 t CO2e per t range 1.1-3.0 · 0.44 t ammonia at about 2.4 t CO2/t (about 1.05) plus nitric acid N2O (about 0.05 t CO2e with EU-style tertiary abatement, about 1.5 unabated) plus energy; world average indicative Global emissions per year 50.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 2.0 t x 25 Mt (IndexBox); undercounts ChinaPer t of ammonium nitrate, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: derived from IEA Ammonia Technology Roadmap 2021 and IPCC 2006 nitric acid defaults (indicative). Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 52% Production / process 45% Movement 3%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.05 t CO2e/t (embedded ammonia) | 52% | gas steam reforming or coal gasification | coal-based ammonia roughly doubles this | IEA (2021), derived |
| Production / process | about 0.9 t CO2e/t average; 0.05-0.2 abated, about 1.5 unabated | 45% | N2O from ammonia oxidation in nitric acid plants (GWP 273); power for compression | IPCC defaults 5-9 kg N2O per t HNO3 without abatement; EU plants have abated since EU ETS inclusion in 2013 (indicative) | IPCC 2006 Guidelines; derived (indicative) |
| Movement | about 0.05 t CO2/t | 3% | rail and bulk shipping | Russia to Brazil about 11,000 km | IMO Fourth GHG Study 2020 (indicative) |
| Use | fertiliser: about 1.5 t CO2e per t AN from field N2O at the IPCC 1% default (derived: 0.34 t N x 1% x 44/28 x 273); explosives: CO2 from fuel oil in ANFO | – | soil nitrification and denitrification; detonation | AN loses less ammonia to air than urea; nitrate leaches in wet soils | IPCC 2019 Refinement (indicative) |
| End of life | not applicable | – | consumed in soil or blast | nitrate leaching pollutes groundwater | indicative |
Other environmental impacts
Nitrate leaching to groundwater and rivers; NOx from blasting and nitric acid plants; catastrophic explosion risk from poor storage.
Levers to cut emissions
- Tertiary N2O abatement catalysts on every nitric acid plant (cuts process emissions by 90% or more, indicative)
- Low-carbon ammonia (blue or green)
- Precision application and nitrification inhibitors to cut field N2O
- Electrified or heat-integrated nitric acid plants
India
India's new technical AN plants (Chambal, Smartchem) run on domestic or imported ammonia; whether their nitric acid units abate N2O is not published. Coal-gasification AN planned by Coal India and BHEL would have a much higher footprint.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AN from green ammonia with N2O abatement | about 0.1-0.3 t CO2e/t (indicative, derived) | green ammonia premium of roughly $250-700/t NH3 adds about $110-310/t AN (indicative) | Yara's 24 MW electrolyser at Heroya, Porsgrunn feeding its ammonia and nitrate plant (2024, indicative); small scale | derived (indicative) |
| N2O abatement retrofit on existing nitric acid plants | cuts about 1.3-1.5 t CO2e per t AN where unabated (derived) | low, a few dollars per tonne CO2e (indicative) | standard in the EU; patchy elsewhere, including some Indian and Chinese plants (indicative) | indicative |