KAIST Catalyst Improves Hydrogen Production with Low-Temp Ammonia Synthesis

When Professor Choi Min-gi at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea, got tapped as Scientist and Engineer of the Month for November 2025 by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, it was more than just an academic pat on the back. His team’s breakthrough eco-friendly ammonia catalyst drastically lowers operating conditions from over 500 °C and 100 atm down to a cozy 300 °C and 10 atm—while pumping out ammonia at rates over seven times faster than the previous best. And let’s be real: ammonia is a cornerstone for global hydrogen production, fertilizer supply, and the growing clean fuel market.

Scoring this award isn’t just about prestige. It’s a sign that Choi’s crew is on a fast track to real-world impact. Their Ru/BaO/C catalyst already grabbed attention in Nature Catalysis and is now in deep conversations with major chemical manufacturers. Considering South Korea’s aggressive push into the hydrogen economy, their timing couldn’t be better, slotting neatly into both national and global sustainability roadmaps.

Key insights at a glance

• Energy drawdown: Slashes reaction temperature from 500–600 °C to just 300 °C, and pressure from 100 atm to 10 atm.
• Massive boost: Delivers over a 700% jump in turnover frequency, so ammonia production rates skyrocket.
• Hydrogen carrier: Leverages ammonia’s 8% hydrogen content by weight, a stable liquid at –33 °C, for easier hydrogen storage.
• Emission cuts: Could slash CO₂ emissions in ammonia synthesis by up to 50%, aligning with industrial decarbonization targets.
• Scale-up roadmap: KAIST aims to go from lab bench to pilot reactor in 18–24 months.

Historical perspective

Way back in 1909, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch kicked off what became the Haber-Bosch process, turning nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia—essential for fertilizers that feed almost half the planet. Fast forward to today: we churn out over 180 million tonnes of ammonia annually, but the process still guzzles roughly 2% of the world’s energy and locks in about 1% of global CO₂ emissions. Early iron-based catalysts got the job done, later upgraded with ruthenium for better efficiency, but both demanded brutal heat and pressure.

In recent years, everyone from UN SDG panels to G20 energy forums has flagged ammonia as a linchpin for food security and cleaner energy. With a growing population to feed and heavy industry begging for decarbonization, greener ammonia routes have climbed to the top of policy agendas worldwide.

How the catalyst works

• Ruthenium nanoparticles: Wrapped in barium oxide, they form charge-polarization sites that act like microcapacitors.
• Support matrix: Mounted on high-surface-area conductive carbon, the catalyst creates more active spots for the N₂ + 3H₂ → 2NH₃ reaction.
• Performance: Under 300 °C and 10 atm, it hits a turnover frequency north of 10 s^–1, over 7× better than any earlier material.

“By tweaking electron density right at the surface, we can dramatically lower the energy barrier for ammonia synthesis,” says Choi. And it’s not just a lab trick: stability tests show barely any sintering or deactivation after 100 hours straight—music to an industrial engineer’s ears.

Fueling a hydrogen economy

As the world eyes 500 million tonnes of green hydrogen demand by 2050, ammonia is stealing the spotlight as a preferred carrier. It packs about 11.5 MJ/L of energy when liquid—more than compressed hydrogen and on par with diesel.

• Renewable power charges up electrolyzers to split water and make hydrogen.
• That hydrogen meets nitrogen over the Ru/BaO/C catalyst to churn out ammonia.
• Ammonia travels via existing tankers and pipelines to farms, power plants, or remote communities.
• At the endpoint, you can crack it back into hydrogen for fuel cells or burn it directly in zero-carbon turbines.

Since we already ship over 180 million tonnes of ammonia a year, the infrastructure tweaks are minor: retrofitting current tankers for green-grade product, and ports in Rotterdam and Singapore are already piloting ammonia bunkering for marine vessels under IMO decarbonization rules.

Economic and policy drivers

South Korea’s Hydrogen Roadmap 2.0 aims to pump out 6.2 million tonnes of clean hydrogen annually by 2040, with over $2 billion in government backing. The Ministry of Science and ICT and NRF are fronting R&D grants, tax perks, and pilot funding for technologies that check the sustainable energy and zero-emission technology boxes.

On the other side of the globe, Europe’s REPowerEU plan wants 2 million tonnes of green ammonia imports by 2030; Japan’s Basic Hydrogen Strategy is eyeing 3 million. If Choi’s catalyst can push the levelized cost of ammonia below $300/tonne, green ammonia could mix it up cost-wise with grey ammonia (currently $200–300/tonne plus €50–€100/tonne in carbon fees). Analysts reckon the green ammonia market could top $30 billion by 2030, assuming production costs dip and policies stay steady.

Challenges on the path to scale

• Ruthenium scarcity: We only mine about 30 tonnes a year. Recycling spent catalyst will be key to taming costs and supply.
• Feed gas impurities: Sulfur and chlorides in industrial nitrogen and hydrogen feeds can poison active sites—real-world tests are ongoing.
• Engineering integration: Retrofits on Haber-Bosch reactors or brand-new modular units need big capital, special materials handling, and regulatory thumbs-up.
• Alternative routes: Ambient plasma-driven or electrochemical processes look promising, but their yields are currently far lower. KAIST’s catalyst lead in both activity and stability gives it a near-term edge.
• Market incentives: Carbon credits, low-interest funding, and guaranteed off-take deals will be essential until green ammonia hits commercial parity.

The road ahead

• KAIST plans a pilot plant by mid-2026 in partnership with local chemical firms, aiming for several tonnes per day.
• A commercial-scale rollout could land by 2030, syncing perfectly with global hydrogen investment cycles.
• Coupling the catalyst with advances in electrolysis, carbon capture, and renewables could enable distributed ammonia plants next to wind or solar farms.
• Decentralized fertilizer hubs with ultra-low carbon footprints could bolster food security and the UN SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) agenda.
• Ammonia as a marine fuel could ramp up new hydrogen storage infrastructure in shipping, aligning with IMO decarbonization goals.
• By 2035, ammonia-fired combined-cycle power stations could deliver baseload electricity with near-zero emissions.

When small tweaks can mean gigaton-scale cuts in emissions, Choi’s leap in material science shows that even a century-old process can be reimagined for a cleaner future.

About KAIST
Founded in 1971, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is South Korea’s flagship for science and engineering, driving high-impact research from catalysts to artificial intelligence—and now, shaping the next wave of sustainable energy breakthroughs.