Fertilizer production by electricity






At the beginning of the 20th century, Haber was celebrated as the man who made bread from air, thanks to the Haber-Bosch process for producing artificial fertilizer. Earlier sources of fertilizer were guano bird droppings and Chilean nitrate, both of which were limited resources. These limited resources were replaced by a new limited resource: fossil fuels. The best conventional plants emit 1.5 kg of CO2 per kg of urea fertilizer. Since the production of 1 kg of fertilizer costs 9 kWh of electricity, the least favorable ratio for replacing CO2 emissions with clean electricity is 6 kWh to avoid 1 kg of CO2 emissions. Replacing a moped with a 2-stroke engine with an electric scooter meant replacing 4 liters of gasoline/100 km with 10 kg of CO2 emissions with 5 kWh of electricity: only 0.5 kWh of electricity to avoid 1 kg of CO2 emissions. Fertilizer production by electricity Since the production of 1 kg of fertilizer costs 9 kWh of electricity, the least favorable ratio for replacing CO2 emissions with clean electricity is 6 kWh to avoid 1 kg of CO2. The greatest challenge: cheaper than steel but more than twice the electricity for production. At least one green field in the “Run only 24-electricity” mode, but this is more than enough, because Cairo, Egypt stands for the Sahara, the Arabic peninsula and many more very sunny deserts.

  Cost optimization — the key to energy transition and climate protection
Paper written for the CORP.at conference March 22 to 25, 2026, in Vienna. My 2025 participation was a last-minute action, but now I have much time to prepare the paper.

Abstract
To meet the necessary cost optimization targets, we cannot hold the energy problem separate from all other problems: another major problem is housing.
Introduction
Many imaginations about our future had been created in the past with completely different parameters. Unchecked conclusions from the past endanger our future with unbearable costs.
My personal experience with a profitability transition My personal experience with a profitability transition
Birds can fly without knowing all the terms of aerodynamics. I reacted with my design change to an ongoing “profitability transition” without knowing the term at this time.
Energy transition
The long way from random electricity from sun and wind towards 24×365 electricity. Overseen profitability transitions have to be considered as major accidents.
The GEMINI principle: double usage of land
No better solar power plant, no better housing possible on the same ground is the ultimate target of the GEMINI principle.
Off-grid fast charging settlements Off-grid fast charging settlements
It can start small, somewhere in a village, with a single GEMINI house with a big PV carport and 100 kW DC charging.
Energy-intensive industry
I once developed a scale for off-grid solar possibilities depending on photovoltaic size. But now is to make a big jump upwards on this scale: running, energy-intensive industry.
Agriculture: How many square meters does a human need for his food? Agriculture: How many square meters does a human need for his food?
Mankind started as hunters and gatherers. 12,000 years ago, 500,000 m² to 2,500,000 m² per human. With the agricultural revolution, the land use was reduced by 2 magnitudes.
Conclusion
All parameters are in a constant state of change. We have to check all the parameters and predict the development for the predictable future.
References
Roland Mösl: Energy Optimised Settlements – Enabler for Necessary Civilization Targets, Graz 2025


          Fertilizer production by electricity: Since the production of 1 kg of fertilizer costs 9 kWh of electricity, the least favorable ratio for replacing CO2 emissions with clean electricity is 6 kWh to avoid 1 kg of CO2. https://climate.pege.org/2026/fertilizer.htm