The synthesis of ammonia uses a form of magnetite, iron oxide, as the catalyst of a reaction held at 15-25 Mpa and between 300-550⁰c, passing the gaseous nitrogen and hydrogen over 4 beds of catalyst, with cooling after each pass with a conversion rate up to 15% and a recycling mechanism to achieve up to 98% conversion.

The main source of hydrogen is methane from natural gas, however, sometimes (i.e. China, Australia) coal may be used as a source through a process called coal gasification. Initially, methane is cleaned primarily to remove sulphur impurities that would poison the catalyst, then clean methane reacts with steam in the primary reforming stage and with air in the secondary reforming stage, over a catalyst of nickel oxide.
The water-gas shift reaction yields more hydrogen from carbon monoxide and steam, then the gas mixture goes through a methanator, which converts the remaining carbon monoxide into methane for recycling purposes.

The production of ammonia is based on proprietary technology by a number of licensors (Haldor Topsoe, Linde, Uhde, KBR, Ammonia Casale) for which VRV is an approved vendor.

As to the equipment required in an ammonia production plant, VRV can supply the following:
 

• Ammonia Synthesis Converter
• Boiler Feed Water Heater
• Synloop Heat Exchanger
• Secondary Steam Reformer
• Exchange Reformer (Haldor Topsoe license)
• Ammonia Synthesis Converter Cartridge (Basket)

For the ammonia synthesis, VRV supplies proprietary technology items like the Ammonia Converter Internals (i.e. Baskets or Cartridges) to all main licensors of the ammonia process. These items are very sophisticated in  the design and construction materials and require great expertise in the fabrication process. Since the late '80s VRV has been supplying in excess of 60 Ammonia Converter Baskets to various licenses and designs with radial flow and single-bed, two-bed or the latest developed three-bed catalyst design.