The facility will brew Nitricity’s flagship organic nitrogen fertilizer using recycled almond shells and renewable power
Electrifying nitrogen fertilizer production, Nitricity Inc., announced $10 million in project funding to build a unique organic fertilizer plant in Delhi, California (FOAK). A strategic mixture of capital providers, including Elemental Impact and Trellis Climate, are funding the project.
Nitricity’s FOAK plant represents a major milestone, marking a 100-fold increase in production capacity to achieve commercial-scale volumes. Slated for operation in 2026, the plant’s full production capacity is already sold out through 2028 under binding offtake agreements with local organic growers. Located in Merced County, the project is expected to create approximately 20 jobs supporting fabrication, deployment, and maintenance.
Globally, traditional fertilizers account for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Elemental Impact and Trellis Climate are delighted to support Nitricity’s FOAK plant as a first step to addressing this massive source of emissions, while also providing economic benefits to the Merced community and the environmental benefit of transforming agricultural waste into a valuable product.
“We are proud to scale up our manufacturing capacity of a product that creates value for California growers—made locally with local ingredients,” said Nicolas Pinkowski, CEO of Nitricity. “In a market where most nitrogen is imported, our solution onshores production to deliver exactly what growers have been asking for: a sustainable, organic alternative that strengthens farmers’ bottom lines and benefits our community and environment.”
The facility will brew Nitricity’s flagship organic nitrogen fertilizer using recycled almond shells and renewable power. This cost-competitive, plant-based solution is pathogen-free, odor-free, and designed for application through irrigation lines. The product is approved for use in organic farming, registered with OMRI and CDFA OIM. By leveraging local agricultural byproducts, the project strengthens the region’s circular bioeconomy and aims to produce hundreds of tons of low-carbon nitrogen by 2028.
“As one of dozens of FOAKs we’ve funded, Nitricity’s facility proves sustainable fertilizer can be produced at scale while providing local economic benefits,” said Danya Hakeem, VP of Portfolio at Elemental Impact. “Building on our initial investment in 2022, which supported the construction of their Fremont facility and successful field trials in the Central Valley, we’re confident they’re ready for this next frontier. There’s clear market demand.”
“Nitricity’s solution is unique in the industry in that it addresses both the production emissions from making fertilizers and the on-field emissions from applying them,” said Lara Pierpoint, Managing Director of Trellis Climate. “We’re excited to accelerate the scale-up of this technology and to partner with a company that recognizes the critical role of community engagement in project success. By integrating technology development with meaningful collaboration with local partners, Nitricity is well-positioned to scale rapidly and effectively.”
