Milton Park welcomes green ammonia innovators Nium

Nium, a startup aiming to eliminate emissions from ammonia production, has relocated its headquarters to Milton Park in Oxfordshire.

The company has taken 7,500 sq ft of R&D space at the park to capitalise on its growth plans off the back of a £2.3 million seed funding round last year.

Founded in 2022 at Carbon13, Cambridge, Nium’s nanocatalytic solutions were developed by its CTO over two years at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility, based at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

It uses nanotechnology – manipulating atoms at a very small scale – to decarbonise ammonia production, the planet’s most polluting chemical industrial process.

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The current Haber-Bosch method of creating ammonia – which is used as fertiliser in half of all food produced globally – is more than 100 years old, and releases two tonnes of CO₂ for every tonne of ammonia produced.

Nium’s renewably powered solution takes hydrogen from water and nitrogen from the air to produce green ammonia without the need for fossil fuels, and at a far reduced cost.

This enables green ammonia to be locally produced, saving time, removing emissions and shortening supply chains. 

Easier to transport than hydrogen, green ammonia is also a good alternative energy store and is fast becoming a frontrunner in clean fuel. It’s an excellent hydrogen carrier, with nine times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

Lewis Jenkins, CEO and co-founder of Nium, said:“Our solution for producing green ammonia is innovation born out of necessity, at a fraction of the price and without the pollution from fossil fuels.

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“As an ambitious startup, we need the space, infrastructure and collaborative environment if we’re to scale effectively and deliver a positive impact on the planet.

“When looking at other estimates to complete a facility to test and scale our emission reducing nanotechnologies, we were originally looking at a 2026 completion, but it took just seven months for us to set up out new basecamp at Milton Park – a real testament to the work of Tom and the MEPC team.

“We were attracted to the park’s track record of supporting startups, thanks to its ability to move occupiers around to accommodate growth.

“That speed and nimble approach gives companies like Nium the flexibility and agility to scale, whilst benefitting from Oxfordshire’s world-class talent pool.”

Nium is now one of an increasing number of companies at Milton Park focused on the green energy sector – including fusion tech firm Tokamak Energy and lithium-ion battery innovators Nexeon.

A Beauhurst analysis of Milton Park found that its occupiers in the green energy sector raised £136 million in equity investment and were awarded £18.4 million in grants between 2013 and 2022. 

Tom Booker, commercial manager at Milton Park, added: “Joining the likes of Gardin, Wild Bioscience and Nexeon, Nium is another exciting Milton Park occupier and a welcome addition to our growing agritech and green energy sectors.

“We’re delighted to welcome the team to Milton Park, to play a part in accommodating their growth plans alongside other like-minded companies.”

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