Ammonia is a vital agricultural input and could be a carbon-free energy vector. An experimental proof-Of:concept of a novel thermochemical cycle to produce NH3 and syngas (CO-H-2) at atmospheric pressure from N-2, steam, and shale gas (CH4) is demonstrated Mn was reacted with N-2 formiftg Mn-nitride, corrosion of Mn nitride with steam at 500 degrees C formed Mn0 and NH3, and finally MnO was reduced at 1150 degrees C in a 4 vol % CH4-96 vol % N-2 stream to Mn-nitride, closing the cycle. Optimum nitridation at 800 degrees C and 120 min produced a Mn6N2.58-rich Mn-nitride mixture containing 8.7 0:9 wt % nitrogen. NH3 yield was limited to 0:04 after 120 min during nitride corrosion, hut addition of a NaOH promotor improved NH3 yield to 0.54. M6N2.58 yield was 0.381 +/- 0.083 after MnO reduction for 30 min with CO and H-2, but no CO, detected in the product.