Why was the electric arc method for nitrogen fixation inefficient?

The electric arc method for nitrogen fixation was inherently inefficient because it required massive amounts of electrical power to heat air to the extremely high temperatures necessary to force the direct combination of nitrogen and oxygen.12

Because nitrogen is a relatively inert gas, it does not react easily with other elements under ordinary conditions. The arc process relied on "brute force" to overcome this stability, making it costly and energy-intensive compared to later, more economical methods like the Haber-Bosch process, which synthesizes ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen under high pressure and moderate temperatures using a catalyst. Consequently, the arc method was eventually abandoned in favor of more efficient industrial approaches.12