# Ammonium nitrate: Emissions

The nitrous oxide hidden in every bag

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/emissions/

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 China

Per 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 |

 For a climate investor N2O abatement on nitric acid plants is one of the cheapest tonnes of CO2e available in industry, and India's new AN and nitric acid capacity is where it can be locked in. Low-carbon ammonia supply to these plants is the second step. What has to be true: a carbon credit or procurement rule (e.g. Indian Carbon Market methodologies or export buyer requirements) that pays for abatement.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_nitrate/links/index.md)