CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a global player in hydrogen and nitrogen products, has partnered with POET, the world’s largest biofuels producer, and leading agricultural cooperatives to launch a pilot project aimed at building a low-carbon fertilizer supply chain. The initiative seeks to demonstrate how low-carbon nitrogen fertilizers can measurably reduce the carbon intensity of corn, thereby supporting the production of low-carbon ethanol for both motor fuel and export markets. By linking fertilizer production, farming practices, and biofuel manufacturing, the pilot addresses emissions across the entire ethanol value chain.
Cooperative-Led Collaboration Across the Midwest
The project brings together WinField United, the crop inputs and insights division of Land O’Lakes, Inc., along with agricultural cooperatives NuWay-K&H, New Cooperative, and Farmer’s Cooperative. Together, these partners represent a broad cross-section of the US agricultural ecosystem, enabling the project to test scalability across multiple distribution channels and farming communities.
End-to-End Tracking of Carbon Intensity
Under the program, participants will track and certify the carbon intensity of CF Industries’ low-carbon fertilizer as it moves through distribution networks, retail outlets, and on-farm application. Corn grown using this certified fertilizer will then be supplied to POET’s ethanol production facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska, creating a transparent link between low-carbon inputs and low-carbon fuel outputs. Importantly, the consortium successfully completed the first distribution and application of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer in fall 2025, marking a key milestone for the project.
Measurable Impact on Ethanol Carbon Footprint
POET estimates that corn produced with low-carbon ammonia could yield approximately 5–6 million gallons of ethanol with reduced carbon intensity. This outcome highlights the potential for agricultural input choices to play a direct and quantifiable role in lowering emissions from biofuel production.
Industry Leaders Highlight Decarbonisation Potential
“Fertilizers manufactured with a lower carbon intensity provide a quantifiable and certifiable pathway to decarbonising bioethanol inputs,” said Bert Frost, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at CF Industries. He added that the collaboration demonstrates the commercial viability of a low-carbon ethanol value chain connecting fertilizer producers, retailers, farmers, and ethanol plants. Christian McIlvain, President of POET Grain, noted that the trial supports both sustainability and rural growth. “This initiative offers an additional pathway to reduce the carbon intensity of our bioethanol while delivering environmental and economic benefits to Midwest farming communities,” he said.
Carbon Capture Anchors Low-Carbon Fertilizer Production
CF Industries produces its low-carbon ammonia at the Donaldsonville Complex, where the company captures CO₂ emissions generated during ammonia production and permanently stores them underground. At full capacity, the facility can produce up to 1.9 million tonnes of low-carbon ammonia annually, sufficient to fertilise 19–22 million acres of corn, underscoring the scalability of the approach.
Strengthening Sustainable Agriculture Through Cooperatives
As reported by chinimandi.com, for WinField United and its cooperative network, the project aligns closely with long-term sustainability goals. “Collaborating on this pilot program to build a sustainable supply chain 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 emphasised that the cooperative system remains committed to environmental stewardship and low-carbon leadership, applying best practices to support American farmers while advancing agricultural sustainability.
