How to certify your ammonia: deep-dive on the AEA’s ongoing pilot

To highlight the progress and current status of the AEA’s Ammonia Certification System pilot, we recently held two exploratory webinar sessions. Vibeke Rasmussen (President of the AEA), Nicholas Cook (chair of the AEA certification committee), and Trevor Brown (Executive Director of the AEA) joined Certification Project Manager Madhav Acharya to provide a high-level overview of how the ammonia industry is evolving, the different areas where certification will be important, and what the AEA’s Ammonia Certification System is designed to achieve. A recording is available on our website, and you can access the presentation slides here.

The need for credible ammonia certification

Click to expand. The role of certification: to provide robust, transparent assurance in the data. From The AEA’s Ammonia Certification System (Jan 2026).

The opening comments underscored that credible, interoperable certification is becoming essential for the future of ammonia markets. As the AEA’s Certification System moves from concept to execution (via the pilot phase), it begins to gain trustworthiness and add value, a key step on the path to widespread adoption.

As the ammonia industry evolves certification will play a decisive role, from production all the way through to end use. The AEA’s Ammonia Certification System is designed to deliver clarity, credibility, and consistency for low-emission ammonia trade.

The System does not certify the product is good, but rather than the data about the product is good.

Key system elements

Governance, carbon footprint methodology, chain of custody and the (first its kind) ammonia registry are all key system elements that were explored in the webinar.

During the pilot phase, the AEA will be providing oversight of the system with MiQ, a global non-profit operating the registry. The role of certification bodies in providing audit services was also highlighted – system users will be able to choose their own auditors, provided they meet all requirements set out by the AEA. This allows for existing relationships to continue.

Click to expand. Example of CI calculations, using a hybrid ammonia production plant. From The AEA’s Ammonia Certification System (Jan 2026).

The certification system enables producers, supply chain operators and users to communicate the environmental attributes, specifically the carbon intensity (CI), of ammonia to foster global trade. Each ton of ammonia is assigned a unique digital certificate that captures the key information about the product which is then transferred along the supply chain.

The carbon footprint methodology specifies well-to-gate accounting, with the main inputs to the footprint calculation being electricity, natural gas, and suitable offsets for steam production and carbon capture. An example of a hybrid ammonia plant was shown to highlight how a typical producer would define the carbon intensity of their production.

Click to expand. Chain of Custody options for users in the system. From The AEA’s Ammonia Certification System (Jan 2026).

The Ammonia Certification System allows 3 different chains of custody to be used: segregated, mass balance and book and claim. The registry is set up to enable account holders to generate, transfer and retire certificates; accuracy of information and traceability are key features built into the system by MiQ.

A walk-through video of the registry is now available, showing you in detail the functionality on offer:

Q&A

Questions answered by speakers include:

• the interaction between this system and current jurisdictional CI thresholds (eg. the EU)
• does the system show CI of the feedstock hydrogen?
• is pre-certification available?
• exactly how does interoperability work?
• is there a current list of approved auditors?
• is there a product carbon footprint (PCF) tool for users?
• is book & claim restricted to insetting, and will we be able to see what potential buyers are out there?

Check out the recording for answers to these.

Key takeaways, and signing up

• Certification is no longer theoretical. The ongoing pilot shows that low-emission ammonia can be verified, tracked, and traded today.
• Flexibility…without losing integrity. Multiple chains of custody allow participation across diverse supply chains and markets.
• Market readiness. The system is built to support emerging demand signals, from policy, buyers, and end users, without locking out any participants, or forcing users into a single pathway.
• Early-mover advantage. Pilot participants gain invaluable, hands-on experience that can inform internal systems, commercial strategies, and future compliance needs.

Click to expand. Steps to participate in the system. From The AEA’s Ammonia Certification System (Jan 2026).

Participation is now open to all comers. As a first step towards joining the pilot, please review, sign and return the Participation Agreement to certification@ammoniaenergy.org (we will also provide and walk you through the Registry Agreement). Following a facility audit (actual operating data for operational facilities, design data for pre-certification), you will then be able to set yourself up on the registry and begin trading certificates.

For any questions please reach out: we would love to have you onboard for the pilot phase!