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Why Suzanne Zamany Andersen Wants Farmers to Make Their Own Fertiliser

The physicist turned entrepreneur is leading NitroVolt’s effort to bring ammonia production out of giant plants and onto the farm.

Why Suzanne Zamany Andersen Wants Farmers to Make Their Own Fertiliser

Suzanne Zamany Andersen, CEO, NitroVolt

BY SME Business Review

Suzanne Zamany Andersen is a physicist who made the journey from the lab bench to the boardroom with steady focus and resolve. She earned her doctorate in physics engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, where she specialised in surface science and catalysis, the study of how materials spark chemical reactions. Those long research hours shaped her practical view of innovation.

Her fascination with electrochemical processes began as academic curiosity. Over time, it became the basis for a plan to change how the world makes fertiliser. What started as a small experiment grew into something bigger when she realised the potential to produce ammonia directly from air, water, and electricity.

That mix of scientific rigour and persistence is what defines Suzanne today. She brings the same patience that guided her through years of research into the daily running of NitroVolt. Her goal is not to chase trends but to prove that sound science and old-fashioned endurance can still move industries forward.

What Problem is She Solving

Fertiliser is the lifeblood of agriculture, yet few outside the industry think about how it is made. The standard process, developed more than a century ago, depends on massive factories and fossil fuels. These plants dominate global production, which means prices rise and fall with energy markets and political tensions.

Suzanne saw an opportunity to do things differently. Her company, NitroVolt, builds small modular systems called Nitrolyzers that produce ammonia on-site. Each unit fits inside a standard container and draws only on air, water, and electricity. Farmers can use them to make their own fertiliser instead of relying on shipments from halfway across the world.

The idea is simple but bold. Instead of waiting for centralised production to trickle down, NitroVolt hands control back to the end user. The approach saves transport costs, cuts emissions, and creates stability for growers who depend on consistent supply. When renewable power is available, the process becomes even cleaner, turning excess energy into something farmers can store and use.

Suzanne’s solution does not chase novelty. It rebuilds an essential industrial process in a smaller, smarter form.

How Suzanne Leads NitroVolt and Where It is Heading

Suzanne leads NitroVolt with the mindset of a scientist and the focus of a manufacturer. She likes order, evidence, and results. Each decision follows a path -- design, test, refine, repeat. That habit has carried the company from a university spin-out to a respected deep-tech venture.

Funding came gradually, not in a rush. Investors were drawn by her confidence and methodical pace.  

Leadership Style in Practice: Suzanne’s management style is calm but exacting. She asks for precision from her team, expecting them to think like engineers rather than dreamers. Failures are studied, not hidden. Success is measured in reliability, not speed. She often reminds her staff that patience is a competitive edge in deep-tech, where ideas can take years to mature.

Vision for Scale: Her vision for NitroVolt is not to build one large plant but thousands of small ones. Each Nitrolyzer unit could one day serve a farm or local community, producing hundreds of kilograms of ammonia daily. That decentralised model could make fertiliser cheaper, steadier in supply, and more resilient to shocks. She believes such a system could change not only how fertiliser is produced but also how rural economies function.

Can Decentralised Ammonia Become Mainstream

The idea of small-scale ammonia production sounds promising, but the path to commercial success is tough. Suzanne knows this. She talks about cost, maintenance, and regulations with the same honesty she brings to technical discussions. Her goal is not to replace existing systems overnight but to show that local production can stand beside them as a viable alternative.

Scaling chemistry from the lab to the field takes patience. Machines that perform perfectly indoors must work under harsh farm conditions, fluctuating power, humidity, and dust. Suzanne treats these as engineering challenges rather than obstacles. Every test brings a lesson, every prototype a refinement. She believes progress that lasts is never rushed.

Her slow and steady method stands in contrast to much of the start-up world. She refuses to exaggerate timelines or results. That restraint has earned her credibility with investors who prefer durable solutions to fleeting excitement. In a sector built on cycles and seasons, Suzanne’s careful tempo may prove the wiser path.

End-User Focus and a Traditional Sense of Purpose

Farmers sit at the centre of Suzanne’s thinking. She insists that any new technology must fit their routines rather than force new ones upon them. NitroVolt’s engineers spend time on farms, listening before designing. The company’s success depends on trust, and Suzanne builds that through practical results, not slogans.

Her philosophy draws from traditional business values built on dependability, endurance, and respect for the people who keep things running. She believes progress means improving what works, not discarding it. NitroVolt’s work follows that belief closely: modern technology built with the simplicity and sturdiness that farmers expect.

By producing fertiliser locally, Suzanne hopes to restore balance to the agricultural economy. Communities gain control over supply, reduce transport burdens, and cut their exposure to global price swings. It is a modern idea rooted in a timeless principle that independence grows strongest when built close to home.

From lab experiment to container-sized field unit, we are building a bridge between science and the everyday work of farmers.