A new industrial process at a coal-fired power plant in China is converting smokestack emissions directly into fertiliser instead of storing the carbon underground. Chinese media described the process as a closed system in which flue gas enters one end of the pipeline and fertiliser emerges from the other.

The method builds on carbon capture technology, which removes carbon dioxide from industrial emissions before it reaches the atmosphere. In most carbon capture projects, the extracted CO2 is compressed into liquid form and transported for long-term underground storage in geological formations. 

In this case, however, the captured gas is being repurposed as a raw material for fertiliser production, creating a link between emissions reduction and agricultural manufacturing.

Lower-cost carbon capture route through fertiliser production

Traditional carbon capture systems often depend on suitable underground geology and expensive infrastructure, making them difficult to scale across many industrial sites. In China, Jiangnan Environmental Technology (JNG) has adopted a different approach by using ammonia to absorb sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide released during coal combustion, then converting those captured compounds into fertiliser, the South China Morning Post reported.

The process avoids the need for underground storage by redirecting industrial emissions into agricultural production. By combining pollution control with fertiliser manufacturing, the company is positioning the technology as a lower-cost alternative that could reduce emissions while creating a commercially useful byproduct.

The technology developed by JNG builds on decades of progress in industrial emissions control. Early in the 20th century, sulphur removal relied on limestone–gypsum methods that were effective but generated large volumes of waste. This was later replaced in many facilities by ammonia-based desulphurisation, which converts sulphur dioxide into ammonium sulphate fertiliser.

The company has now extended the approach by using ammonia to capture both sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plant emissions. These gases are then converted into ammonium sulphate and ammonium bicarbonate, producing fertiliser as a usable end product while treating industrial exhaust.

Chinese facility captures 10,000 tons of CO2 for fertiliser production

The system is reported to capture around 90 per cent of carbon emissions generated in the process. In August 2025, a pilot project based on this technology went into operation at a coal-fired power plant in Ningbo, located in Zhejiang. The installation is designed to capture approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year while producing about 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser as a byproduct. The project is being used to test the scalability of combining emissions capture with fertiliser production at industrial coal facilities.

A 2025 study found that fertiliser produced through the coal power plant process increased rice yields by 6.2 per cent compared with crops grown using conventional fertiliser. Researchers reported that the results point to improved agricultural performance when the emissions-derived product is used in place of standard inputs.

The same study also indicated a notable reduction in nutrient runoff. Levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium released into the surrounding environment were significantly lower than those associated with conventional fertiliser use, suggesting potential environmental benefits alongside higher crop productivity.

Trials of the fertiliser have reportedly been conducted in several countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Brazil, according to project information. The tests are intended to evaluate how the product performs across a range of soils, climates, and agricultural conditions. It is also claimed that switching to this type of fertiliser could reduce farmers’ input costs by up to 50 per cent, suggesting potential economic advantages alongside its emissions-related benefits.