Production of Fertilizer and Medical Oxygen Supply from Green Hydrogen

Background

Kenya’s Arabica coffee is globally recognised for its quality, but national production remains limited due to high input costs, climate impacts, and limited access to finance. Nyeri Hill Farm has addressed some of these challenges through sustainable practices such as fertigation and large-scale production, achieving a 25% increase in yield per coffee plant.

The Green Hydrogen Innovations Centre (GHIC) project builds on this by using the farm’s high-altitude conditions, solar resources, and water availability to produce green nitrogen fertilizer and medical oxygen. It aims to replace up to 50% of imported ammonia-based fertilizer by 2032, while also producing 56.4 million litres of medical oxygen annually to support local healthcare needs and advance Kenya’s green growth and decarbonization goals.

Transformational Innovation

This project will demonstrate a decentralized green hydrogen system that uses solar energy to co-produce green ammonia fertilizer for coffee farms and medical-grade oxygen for local hospitals as a by-product. The initiative serves as a proof-of-concept for combining clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and rural healthcare access in a single integrated solution. By leveraging commercially available technologies and a structured implementation plan, the project aims to create a replicable model for East Africa.

The project follows a phased scale-up approach. Phase two will double production to supply neighbouring farms and hospitals, while phase three will quadruple the initial output and introduce a processing step to produce granular Calcium Ammonium Nitrate for regional and national distribution. These phases benefit from confirmed interest from offtakers and implementation partners, as well as strong enabling conditions from Kenya’s green hydrogen strategy, regulatory framework, and institutional support.

Objectives

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing approximately 170 tons of fossil-based fertilizer with green ammonia produced using renewable energy, addressing hard-to-abate emissions in the nitrogen fertilizer sector.
• Strengthen local value creation by producing fertilizer and medical oxygen locally, reducing dependence on imports and enhancing regional infrastructure.
• Lower the cost of medical oxygen for local hospitals, offering it at 20% below market rates to improve healthcare affordability and support community solidarity funds.
• Demonstrate a replicable, decentralized model for integrated green ammonia and medical oxygen production, providing technical and financial insights for small- and medium-scale operations.
• Foster capacity building and stakeholder engagement by leveraging partnerships with local and international organizations to promote scaling and replication within Kenya and across other countries with strong agricultural sectors.

Expected Impact

• Environmental: Avoidance of approximately 226 tons of CO₂ emissions per year and a lifetime reduction of 5,650 tons by replacing fossil-based fertilizers and reducing transport-related emissions, as well as the promotion of renewable energy adoption through solar-powered green hydrogen production.
• Social: Reliable local supply of 56.4 million litres of medical-grade oxygen annually, covering the needs of Consolata Hospital and strengthening healthcare security. Skills development and gender inclusion in high-tech energy sectors, targeting 30% female participation through cooperation with Women in Green Hydrogen.
• Economic: Local production of 56.8 tons of green ammonia annually, fully meeting the farm’s fertilizer needs and reducing dependence on imports. Creation of a replicable “farm-to-hospital” business model that generates additional revenue from medical oxygen sales. Strengthening of regional partnerships and knowledge networks, including collaboration with technical partners, the Global Coffee Platform, and academic Research & Development (R&D) institutions.