Key Takeaways
- Loop Chemicals licensed a chemical looping ammonia technology from Sandia National Laboratories, co-developed with Arizona State University, for commercial deployment through distributed manufacturing.
- The company's near-term focus is on fertilizer markets, aiming to localize ammonia production to reduce U.S. agricultural supply chain vulnerabilities and transportation costs.
- Loop Chemicals plans to expand into ammonia as an alternative fuel and hydrogen carrier as the technology matures.
- The company was incubated through the Massachusetts Climatetech Studio — a partnership between the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and FedTech — and secured a competitive grant to fund construction of a prototype reactor.
- Loop Chemicals and Sandia plan to continue collaborating to advance and validate the technology, with commercial development led by Loop Chemicals.
Loop Chemicals, a startup emerging from the Massachusetts Climatetech Studio, has licensed a thermochemical looping ammonia technology from Sandia National Laboratories to develop a distributed ammonia production platform. The company plans to initially target fertilizer markets, with the goal of bringing ammonia production closer to farms and reducing reliance on imported supply.
A New Pathway for Distributed Ammonia Production
The licensed technology uses a novel chemical looping process to produce ammonia, which the company says offers the potential for lower capital intensity compared to conventional ammonia production methods. The technology was developed at Sandia in collaboration with Arizona State University, with research led by Dr. Andrea Ambrosini, Principal Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia. Loop Chemicals is now applying its grant funding toward building a prototype reactor, with technical input from both Sandia and ASU.
Conventional ammonia production is highly centralized, requiring large-scale facilities and extensive logistics networks to move product to end users. Loop Chemicals' distributed model aims to change that by siting smaller production units closer to agricultural demand.
“Our mission is to localize ammonia production — strengthening U.S. fertilizer supply chains, reducing dependence on foreign imports, and improving farm gate economics. Chemical looping ammonia technology offers a pathway to reinvigorate rural economies with high-quality jobs while improving supply reliability. Over time, we also see major opportunity in ammonia as a fuel,” said Dan Doble, Co-Founder and CEO of Loop Chemicals.
Loop Chemicals' Agricultural and Energy Markets Strategy
The company's initial commercial target is the U.S. fertilizer market, where ammonia is a primary input for nitrogen-based crop nutrition. By localizing production, Loop Chemicals aims to reduce the logistical costs and supply chain risks that have periodically disrupted fertilizer availability and pricing for American farmers. The company also identified ammonia as a longer-term opportunity in alternative fuels and as a carrier for hydrogen, two areas it intends to pursue as its technology development advances.
“Our innovative ammonia looping process represents an important step towards increasing domestic production for the benefit of US agriculture and energy security. We are pleased to see Loop Chemicals advancing this technology toward commercial deployment,” said Andrea Ambrosini of Sandia National Laboratories.
Origins in the Massachusetts Climatetech Studio
Loop Chemicals was formed through the Massachusetts Climatetech Studio, a program run jointly by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and FedTech to help entrepreneurs build companies around technologies developed in national laboratories and universities. The company won a competitive grant at the program's conclusion and is using those funds to advance prototype development.
“Loop Chemicals is a great example of how talented innovators and their early-stage technologies can move beyond the lab to deliver tangible economic value in local, rural communities,” said Jennifer Le Blond, Managing Director of Emerging Climatetech at MassCEC. “This milestone reflects the value of pairing breakthrough research with the right support and partnerships to accelerate commercialization and deliver impact where it's needed most.”
