Corncobs As Fertilizer

Here is something worthy of investigation and keeping an eye on.

Nitrogen fertilizer is used to help crop yields in the USA. Much of that fertilizer is imported because the process used to make the nitrogen fertilizer requires natural gas, and natural gas is cheaper in other countries. America has scads of natural gas but its more expensive. Yes, something is wrong with this equation.

Regardless, an American company is going to be producing nitrogen fertilizer in a process that uses corncobs and such.

Now, is this another ethanol or is it something better.

McClatchy: Fertilizer industry finds its alternative energy: corncobs

Today more than half the country's nitrogen fertilizer is imported, and about 20 percent of the imports are from Russia.

Natural gas is used to make ammonia, the basic component for nitrogen fertilizer.

Corncobs are from plants that consumed carbon dioxide as they grew, and the gasification process needed to make the ammonia leaves behind a black residue, called biochar, that can be added back to the fields to improve the soil.

The company making the corncob fertilizer is SynGest

SynGest Inc. has announced plans to build its first commercial scale facility to convert crop waste such as corn stalks and cobs into anhydrous ammonia — an advanced biofuel and nitrogen fertilizer. The company intends to become the dominant player in the production and distribution of anhydrous ammonia made from biomass.

SynGest’s proprietary process uses renewable feedstocks and is carbon negative. Crop wastes will be obtained locally and the high value fuel and fertilizer will be utilized for nearby farming applications. Our design enables low cost production that can undercut the cost of ammonia made from natural gas. Local distribution and consumption offer additional cost advantages. As a result the business is well positioned to capitalize on macroeconomic forces, thereby yielding a healthy profit margin.