A major milestone for the ASPIRE project team

This achievement marks an important step in demonstrating the future of flexible, low-carbon chemical production.

The ASPIRE plant has been designed to show how green ammonia can be produced efficiently while supporting a power grid increasingly dominated by renewable energy.

Key objectives of the pilot plant include:

• Ammonia synthesis loop with rapid response high turn-down capability
• Autonomous control of a flexible e-ammonia plant
• Low energy consumption per tonne of ammonia produced
• Demand-side management services to support grid stability
• Enabling the production of green chemicals from renewable electricity

The first batch of e-ammonia to leave the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and hard work of the entire project team at Technology, as well as our partners at University of Bath and Johnson Matthey.

Every kilogram of ammonia in this first decant contains hydrogen generated on-site by the electrolyser supplied by Oort Energy, whose electrolyser technology has been fundamental to achieving this milestone and demonstrating the integration of flexible hydrogen production with green ammonia synthesis.

We also thank Blended Productions Ltd for their support and collaboration in receiving and transporting this first batch.

As a leading UK ammonia supplier, their willingness to partner with us on this milestone has helped turn a project objective into a tangible product, with the ammonia now destined for use as a refrigerant.

A further thank you goes to Actuation Lab, whose magnetically coupled valves on the ammonia decant line helped ensure the safe and reliable transfer of our first batch.

Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, whose funding made the original ASPIRE project possible.

Their support has enabled the development and demonstration of technologies that can help accelerate the transition to a flexible, resilient, and net-zero energy system.

We look forward to building on this success as we continue to realise the role that flexible green ammonia production can play for today’s industry—transforming curtailed renewable energy into a valuable product, enhancing supply security, delivering high-purity ammonia, simplifying logistics, and supporting decarbonisation.

Equally, we are excited to contribute, alongside a growing community of researchers, technology developers and industry leaders to advancing the understanding of the wider role green ammonia could play in future net-zero energy systems as both an energy storage medium and a low-carbon fuel.