# Nitrogen gas: Feedstocks

Free air, costly electricity

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nitrogen_gas/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Air is free; electricity is the input that matters. For a cryogenic co-product plant, nitrogen shares the power bill with oxygen and argon, so allocation rules decide its cost. On-site PSA nitrogen competes with delivered liquid wherever power is cheap and volumes are steady.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Air** | about 1.3 t of air per t N2 (basis: 75.5% N2 by mass) | nitrogen source | zero | air composition |
| **Electricity** | about 100-400 kWh per t gaseous N2 by route (indicative) | compression and separation | about 50-70% of cash cost (indicative) | indicative |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

Large on-site cryogenic plants with cheap power have the lowest cost. In India, contract nitrogen was 5.69 US cents per Nm3 against cash costs of 3.6-3.9 cents (Intratec, June 2023). Delivered liquid and cylinders cost several times more because of liquefaction and logistics.

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [NH3 Ammonia](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonia/) | 0.823 t N2 per t NH3 |
| [ESG Electronic specialty gases](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/) | ultra-high purity nitrogen supports fab gases |
| [HNO3 Nitric acid](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nitric_acid/) | via ammonia |

## Other sections

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