CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a global leader in hydrogen and nitrogen products, has partnered with POET, the world’s largest biofuel producer, and several major agricultural co-operatives to launch a low-carbon fertilizer pilot program. The initiative aims to build a scalable, low-carbon fertilizer supply chain that reduces the carbon intensity of corn production and enables lower-carbon ethanol for domestic use and export.
Advancing Low-Carbon Ethanol Through Sustainable Inputs
Through this pilot, the partners seek to demonstrate how low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer can significantly lower the carbon footprint of corn grown for ethanol production. By reducing emissions at the farm level, the project supports the creation of ethanol with measurably lower carbon intensity, strengthening its environmental and market value.
Broad Industry Collaboration Across the Midwest
The pilot brings together WinField United—the crop inputs and insights business of Land O’Lakes, Inc.—along with agricultural co-operatives NuWay-K&H, New Cooperative, and Farmer’s Cooperative. Together, these participants represent a broad cross-section of the U.S. agricultural supply chain.
As part of the program, participants track carbon-intensity certification for low-carbon fertilizer produced by CF Industries. The fertilizer moves through CF Industries’ distribution network, into retail channels, and ultimately to corn growers across Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. According to CF Industries’ press release, this traceability is critical to validating the environmental impact of low-carbon agricultural inputs.
From Fertilizer Application to Ethanol Production
POET will use corn grown with low-carbon fertilizer at its ethanol facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Notably, the consortium completed the first distribution and application of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer in fall 2025.
As a result, POET expects to produce approximately 5–6 million gallons of lower-carbon ethanol using corn grown with low-carbon ammonia.
Industry Leaders Highlight Environmental and Economic Benefits
“Fertilizers manufactured with a lower carbon intensity provide a quantifiable and certifiable method of decarbonizing bioethanol inputs,” said Bert Frost, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at CF Industries. He emphasized that the collaboration demonstrates the viability of a low-carbon ethanol value chain connecting fertilizer producers, retailers, farmers, and ethanol manufacturers.
Similarly, Christian McIlvain, President of POET Grain, highlighted the broader regional impact. “This trial provides an additional pathway to reduce the carbon intensity of our bioethanol, delivering both environmental and economic benefits for rural communities,” he said.
Low-Carbon Ammonia Production at Scale
CF Industries produces low-carbon ammonia at its Donaldsonville Complex by capturing carbon dioxide emissions generated during ammonia production and permanently storing them underground. At full capacity, the facility can produce up to 1.9 million tons of low-carbon ammonia annually—enough to support fertilizer needs for approximately 19–22 million acres of corn.
Strengthening Agricultural Sustainability
WinField United also underscored the importance of supply-chain collaboration. “Building a sustainable system from production to end use was an immediate yes,” said Paul Barr, Senior Director of Procurement, Operations, and Transportation at WinField United Crop Nutrients. He added that the cooperative model enables innovation, environmental stewardship, and long-term growth for American farmers.
