Jupiter Ionics

About

Jupiter Ionics develops modular electrochemical systems that convert air, water, and renewable electricity into ammonia via nitrogen-reduction at low temperature and pressure for on-site, batch-intermittent regional agricultural and transport.

Mission

Jupiter Ionics develops an electrochemical green ammonia technology that uses renewable energy, air, and water to produce ammonia. The company is focused on commercialising that technology and improving its cost-competitiveness to reduce the so-called “green premium,” according to CEO Dr Charlie Day. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded Jupiter Ionics $2.5 million over four years to accelerate commercialisation and improve cost-competitiveness. The grant will be used to advance the technology and includes continued collaboration with long-term partners at Monash University. The funding package also supports two PhD positions to train the next generation of green ammonia specialists. ARENA’s award follows a 2018 grant to Monash University that led to the discovery underpinning Jupiter Ionics’ current technology. Jupiter Ionics develops modular electrochemical ammonia-production systems that combine nitrogen from air with hydrogen produced via water electrolysis to make carbon-neutral ammonia for agriculture. The technology can operate with renewable electricity, water and air, enabling regional production, shorter supply chains and reduced exposure to conventional fertilizer price volatility. The company traces to research at Monash University by Prof Doug Macfarlane and Assoc Prof Alexandr Simonov. CEO Dr Charlie Day says the funds will be used to integrate the technology into larger prototypes and accelerate the path to market. The solution also has potential applicability in ammonia-fuelled transport. Financially, the company has completed a $9 million raise to support scaling and commercialization efforts. Jupiter Ionics is a Melbourne-based Monash University spin-out that has exclusively licensed an electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) technology to produce ammonia on-site or closer to farms. Its process requires only water, air, and electricity as inputs and aims to produce smaller, potentially net‑zero batches of ammonia at much lower temperatures and pressures than the Haber‑Bosch process. The company says the approach enables batch, intermittent operation with renewable power, reduces the need for large-scale storage, and allows tailoring of output to point-of-use to lower supply-chain risk. Jupiter Ionics will use the seed funds to continue R&D around the technology and to push ahead with commercialization. CEO Charlie Day highlighted the current global ammonia market is worth around $70 billion and noted potential future demand from green ammonia uses such as shipping fuel and energy storage. Tenacious Ventures has publicly backed the technical and commercial rationale for the company’s approach.

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