Synthetic ammonia is essential for agriculture, but its production at present is unsustainable. Ammonia synthesized with hydrogen from renewable-powered electrolysis and nitrogen separated from air has the potential to alleviate these sustainability concerns while also having promise as a low-cost storage medium for intermittent renewable energy. This paper reviews recent research and development on the topic of renewable ammonia production and utilization as fertilizer and as energy storage. We describe our vision for synergistically combining these renewable ammonia applications to improve sustainability. Furthermore, we outline opportunities for systems engineering to play a crucial role in advancing the adoption of renewable ammonia in a manner which is sustainable, economically competitive, and reliable.

合成氨对于农业至关重要，但目前其生产是不可持续的。由可再生能源电解制得的氢气与空气中分离出的氮气合成的氨具有缓解这些可持续性问题的潜力，同时也有望作为间歇性可再生能源的低成本存储介质。本文综述了有关可再生氨的生产和用作肥料和储能的最新研究进展。我们描述了将这些可再生氨气应用协同结合以改善可持续性的愿景。此外，我们概述了系统工程在以可持续，经济竞争和可靠的方式促进可再生氨的采用方面发挥关键作用的机会。