Ammonia Certification

The AEA is seeking to facilitate the establishment of a global Ammonia Certification System to support the development of a market for low- and zero-carbon ammonia. The Ammonia Certification System will quantify the absolute GHG emissions (and other environmental attributes) associated with ammonia production, and enable prospective producers and consumers to trade ammonia on the basis of relevant, transparent, and verifiable data.

Purpose

The Ammonia Certification System aims to:

  • enable global trade between producers and consumers.
  • support differentiation in the marketplace for ammonia produced with differing carbon footprint and other environmental attributes.
  • be recognised as a robust system and, where practical, be acceptable across jurisdictions.
  • be sufficiently flexible and pragmatic for market development.

Design principles

The Ammonia Certification System will be developed in line with the following principles:

  • Be technology agnostic – it will seek to recognise the carbon intensity of any form of ammonia production.
  • Support the ISO 14067 principles of Relevance, Completeness, Consistency, Coherence, Accuracy and Transparency.
  • Define the methodology for carbon intensity, with ISO standards as the starting point.
  • Define proportionate requirements for data collection and verification.

Project Status

Various presentations from our most recent Annual Conference can provide an update on progress, specifically relating to the proposed Carbon Footprint Methodology and Chain of Custody.

In 2021, we published a Discussion Paper designed to illustrate our initial thinking around the Ammonia Certification System and stimulate discussion of its potential merits, limitations, and design details. This was accompanied by a survey to solicit industry and stakeholder feedback.

At our 2022 Annual Conference, the AEA’s Certification Committee presented a project update including our key Design Principles, which underpin all elements of the ongoing development of the Ammonia Certification System.

In 2022, we formed a Working Group overseen by our Certification Committee, facilitated by the consultants Hinicio, to develop the design phase. More than 70 AEA Member companies, roughly a quarter of our members, are collaborating in this Working Group, which includes Observers from other trade associations, scheme owners, certification bodies, and government agencies.

The AEA invites any interested organization to get in touch by e-mailing us at certification@ammoniaenergy.org.