Agribusiness giants CF Industries and POET launch a pilot project to produce low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer using bio-based feedstocks and carbon capture.
Global fertilizer leader CF Industries and biofuel producer POET have launched a joint pilot project to produce low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer at a facility in the U.S. Midwest. The collaboration, announced today, aims to commercialize a new process that uses bio-based feedstocks from POET’s ethanol production and applies carbon capture technology to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional fertilizer manufacturing.
The pilot will retrofit an existing CF Industries ammonia production unit to utilize biogenic carbon dioxide and renewable energy inputs. Initial production is slated for late 2026, with the goal of scaling the technology across both companies’ networks. The project is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, aiming to prove the technical and economic viability of decarbonizing one of the world’s most emission-intensive industrial processes.
“Partnering with POET allows us to integrate a circular carbon solution directly into our manufacturing process, moving the needle on agricultural decarbonization,” said the CEO of CF Industries. The founder of POET added, “This initiative transforms corn into cleaner food and fuel, creating a more sustainable cycle from farm to field.”
The venture addresses two major challenges: reducing the substantial carbon footprint of synthetic fertilizer production and helping farmers lower the carbon intensity of crop production to meet growing market and regulatory demands. This pilot follows previous industry announcements but represents one of the first large-scale attempts to integrate ethanol byproducts directly into fertilizer synthesis.
Success in this pilot could pave the way for widespread adoption of low-carbon fertilizers, offering a new revenue stream for biofuel producers and helping the sustainable agriculture sector meet its climate goals. The partners plan to share technical and economic data from the pilot in 2027 to inform broader industry deployment.