Dr. Du’s research has led to the founding of Jupiter Ionics, an Australian green ammonia company, where he currently serves as an academic consultant. As one of the distinguished speakers at the inaugural 2025 InnovaConnect event, Dr. Du’s expertise offers valuable perspectives on addressing pressing environmental challenges through innovative solutions.

– Green ammonia is emerging as a promising clean energy carrier. How does it fit into the global sustainable energy transition, and what makes it particularly valuable?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: Ammonia has traditionally been vital as a fertilizer, feeding the world’s population. However, its potential extends far beyond that. Ammonia can serve as both a fuel and an energy carrier with higher energy density than hydrogen, making it increasingly attractive for the future.

We’re already seeing practical applications – for example, Singapore is using ammonia directly for bunkering to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime industry. This versatility positions ammonia as a key factor in helping reach the United Nations’ target for net-zero emissions by 2050.

The conventional Haber-Bosch process for producing ammonia has been used for over a century, but it’s energy-intensive and contributes approximately 1% of global CO2 emissions annually. Our solution is transforming this into an electrochemical process powered by renewable energy. We capture nitrogen from the air and use protons from clean sources like water to produce ammonia, eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels for hydrogen production.

– What breakthroughs are still needed to make green ammonia a widespread reality, and how does your research address these challenges?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: Several critical breakthroughs are needed to fully realize ammonia’s potential. We require more durable catalysts, higher energy efficiencies, and systems that can integrate with existing energy infrastructure. Additionally, we need supportive policy frameworks and continued development of appropriate infrastructure.

At Jupiter Ionics, where I’ve been involved, we’re pushing laboratory research into commercialization. We’re developing electrochemical ammonia synthesis technology that can be adapted to various conditions and scaling it for practical implementation. The key lesson I’ve learned in bridging innovation and market readiness is the importance of understanding what society truly needs and engaging with end users from the beginning.

We must be clear about the problem we’re addressing and ensure our innovations can effectively solve it. Collaborating with customers, communities, and policymakers helps us develop solutions that meet real-world requirements and societal needs.

– Looking forward, what breakthroughs do you think are needed to make green ammonia a reality in the global energy mix?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: First, we need catalysts that are durable enough for long-term operation. The catalysts are critical components that directly impact the efficiency and viability of the ammonia synthesis process.

We also need to significantly improve energy efficiency across the entire system. The traditional Haber-Bosch process is energy-intensive, contributing to approximately 1% of global CO2 emissions annually. Our electrochemical approach using renewable electricity offers a cleaner alternative, but we still need to optimize the energy consumption to make it commercially viable.

Another crucial area is developing systems that can integrate with other energy systems. Green ammonia doesn’t exist in isolation – it needs to work within the broader energy infrastructure. This includes integration with renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are abundant in many regions including Vietnam.

The development of infrastructure is equally important. Ammonia has advantages here because it has mature and well-developed infrastructure for shipping and transportation, particularly in agricultural countries like Vietnam and Australia. This existing infrastructure gives ammonia an edge over hydrogen as an energy carrier.

Lastly, we need supportive policies that encourage the transition to cleaner ammonia production methods. The policy frameworks will help accelerate adoption and create the right incentives for industry to make the necessary investments.

– Vietnam has significant renewable energy potential. How could the country leverage these resources to become a leader in green ammonia technology?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: Vietnam has tremendous potential in this field for several reasons. First, the country has many young, talented scientists and researchers who can drive innovation. Second, Vietnam has abundant renewable resources like solar, wind, tidal, and hydro energy. These are assets many countries wish they had.

This renewable wealth creates a significant opportunity. By adopting sustainable ammonia synthesis technology, Vietnam can convert these renewable sources into economic value through energy exports. Unlike fossil fuels and natural gas, renewable energy is essentially free once the infrastructure is in place, potentially becoming a substantial income source for the country.

For Vietnamese scientists, connecting with the global scientific community provides an invaluable opportunity to shape future technologies. This isn’t just about theoretical research – it’s about creating an engine for sustainable innovation that benefits both Vietnam and the global community.

– At the InnovaConnect event, you’ll be joining other distinguished speakers like Prof. Yeon-Tae Yu and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen. What synergies do you see between your research areas?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: The collaborative potential is tremendous. For instance, researchers focusing on catalysts and designing catalytic systems for photocatalytic and electrochemical reactions are working on exactly what we need to advance green ammonia production.

If we want to expand the scale of our studies and make them closer to industry applications, we need to adopt complementary technologies. Catalysts with high activity and surface area could maximize reaction rates, improving efficiency.

Since we’re all working in related fields involving chemical reactions and sustainable energy solutions, our discussions at InnovaConnect will help identify what each group is missing and what we can learn from each other. These connections could accelerate breakthroughs that none of us could achieve working in isolation.

– Could you share your journey from traditional engineering to research in ammonia synthesis and sustainable energy solutions?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: My journey began with mechanical engineering, specifically in the oil and gas sector. Ammonia is just one of the global challenges we’re addressing. It’s a relatively new field. While hydrogen energy has gained significant attention, ammonia as an alternative energy carrier is still immature in its development – only explored seriously within the last decade. This makes it a cutting-edge field with great potential for impact. My industrial background has been invaluable, as it gave me the mindset to transform laboratory discoveries into real-world applications that benefit communities and society.

– Having worked in both industry and academia, how has your industrial experience shaped the way you approach research and commercialization of green ammonia technology, leading to the founding of Jupiter Ionics?

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: Of course, understanding the fundamental aspects remains essential, but my industry experience ensures I always have one eye on practical implementation and scalability. I’m constantly thinking about how to turn what we discover in the lab into solutions that can benefit communities and society at large.

At Jupiter Ionics, this approach has been central to our mission of pushing laboratory research into commercialization. When bridging the gap between academic innovation and market readiness, it’s crucial to engage with end users from the very beginning. We need to understand what society truly needs and ensure our innovations can effectively address those needs.

This means being very clear about the problem we’re trying to solve. With ammonia, the dual challenges are clear: we need to maintain its vital role in agriculture while transforming its production to be environmentally sustainable. Additionally, we’re exploring its potential as an energy carrier, which requires different considerations for implementation and scaling.

– The InnovaConnect event emphasizes collaboration between domestic and international researchers. How do you see such collaborations advancing sustainable development and potential impact on this field? 

Dr. Hoang-Long Du: Collaboration is essential for tackling global challenges. Gathering researchers and scientists together allows us to articulate our challenges and begin solving them collectively – more minds make solving complex problems easier.

I’m particularly excited about exploring how Vietnamese research groups can adopt our electrochemical ammonia synthesis technology for local conditions in Vietnam. My goal is to build systems with protocols developed in Australia and implement them in Vietnam, expanding ammonia’s potential across both countries.