NitroCapt, a Swedish agri-tech company, aims to transform one of the most polluting sectors of agriculture: the production of nitrogen fertilisers. Winner of the prestigious $2 million Food Planet Prize 2025, NitroCapt’s technology offers a radical solution: nitrogen is captured directly from the air, using only water, oxygen and renewable energy, without any reliance on fossil fuels.
The resulting fertiliser is a locally produced nitrate-based fertiliser, with energy consumption reduced to as little as a tenth of that of conventional methods, whilst improving soil health and reducing environmental impact. NitroCapt’s solution not only drastically cuts emissions but also enables decentralised production, close to agricultural users, reducing reliance on global supply chains.
Following years of research and development on its industrial prototype, NitroCapt launched Sweden’s first domestic production of Sunifer, a nitrogen fertiliser, marking the country’s return to domestic mineral nitrogen fertiliser production after almost two decades. The Swedish company’s patented technology, called Sunifix, uses oxygen instead of hydrogen to bind nitrogen, making the process not only more sustainable but also more energy-efficient.
In recent months, NitroCapt has forged key partnerships in Europe, for example, with VIVESCIA for the production of low-emission fertilisers in France, and has received a commercial order for Sunifer worth 10 million Swedish kronor, approximately €900,000, from the Norwegian agricultural cooperative Felleskjøpet Agri.
Today, the EU still imports around 30% of its mineral fertilisers from Russia, and European production of nitrogen fertilisers is entirely dependent on fossil fuel imports. “Nitrogen fertiliser is not just a commodity; it is a necessity for around 50% of all the food we grow,” says NitroCapt’s founder and CEO, Gustaf Forsberg. “Without a secure supply, we cannot guarantee our harvests and, with them, the ability to feed our population.”
Name:
NitroCapt
Website:
Sector:
Agritech
Pros:
Energy-competitive green alternative to fossil-based fertilisers
Features:
Locally produced nitrogen fertilisers with low environmental impact
Cover: image by Envato