# Fuel cells using amonnia

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-cells-using-amonnia/815831>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 10, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-cells-using-amonnia/815831 "2018-06-10T18:01:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-cells-using-amonnia/815831/1 "2018-06-10T18:01:22Z")

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An Israeli company is [manufacturing fuel cells](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-startup-says-it-can-slash-telecom-costs-with-fuel-cell-energy/?utm_source=Start-Up+Daily&utm_campaign=c44f8c776b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_10_01_02_SUI&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fb879fad58-c44f8c776b-55139749) to power remote telecom equipment at .05 per kWh.

The hydrogen is derived from ammonia. How long will it be until our homes are powered by fuel cells run off the bathroom?

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-cells-using-amonnia/815831/2 "2018-06-10T19:37:23Z")

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> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> An Israeli company is [manufacturing fuel cells](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-startup-says-it-can-slash-telecom-costs-with-fuel-cell-energy/?utm_source=Start-Up+Daily&utm_campaign=c44f8c776b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_10_01_02_SUI&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fb879fad58-c44f8c776b-55139749) to power remote telecom equipment at .05 per kWh.
> 
> The hydrogen is derived from ammonia. How long will it be until our homes are powered by fuel cells run off the bathroom?

at least not until we start pissing anhydrous ammonia, which would be exceedingly unpleasant.

this seems more about getting on-site generation to remote areas w/o easy connection to an electrical grid, it isn’t going to be an energy source. 'cos it requires reactions back and forth. you need industrial hydrogen to produce ammonia in quantity, then you’re going to ship it somewhere for their system to strip hydrogen from that ammonia and feed it into a fuel cell to produce electricity? that’s going to be pretty badly net energy negative.

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**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-cells-using-amonnia/815831/3 "2018-06-10T19:44:41Z")

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> [@jz78817](#):
>
> you need industrial hydrogen to produce ammonia in quantity, then you’re going to ship it somewhere for their system to strip hydrogen from that ammonia and feed it into a fuel cell to produce electricity? that’s going to be pretty badly net energy negative.

Definitely. Industrial hydrogen is obtained from fossil fuels – mainly methane.