Ammonia cracking: the missing link in the global hydrogen supply chain

To understand the significance of this achievement, we sat down with Armelle Levieux, Group Vice President Innovation & Technology, Member of Air Liquide's Executive Committee notably supervising the Hydrogen Energy activity.

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What does this world first in ammonia cracking represent for the future of the energy transition?

You know, this industrial pilot unit in Antwerp is more than just a technological achievement. It will unlock a critical barrier to a truly global, low-carbon hydrogen economy. For years, one of the challenges has been how to transport hydrogen, a very light and volatile molecule, over long distances. By using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier, we can solve this. Each year, approximately 25 million tons¹ of ammonia are transported by road, rail, ship, and pipeline. We can leverage existing infrastructure and supply chains.

This successful pilot demonstrates that we now have the missing link to convert that ammonia back into hydrogen at an industrial scale. This technological brick is a game-changer for decarbonization. It means we can envision a future where ammonia is produced in regions with abundant natural resources, like solar and wind, and then transported to industrial hubs around the world to be converted into renewable hydrogen. 

In Europe, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) requires that by 2030, at least 42% of hydrogen used in industry and 29% of the energy consumed in the transport sector must be from renewable sources. Our technology provides a concrete path to help our customers meet that target.

What is innovative about Air Liquide’s ammonia cracking technology?

First of all, this is the first ammonia cracking pilot on an industrial scale in the world, capable of processing 30 tons of ammonia per day. This project is therefore innovative above all else due to its size. But our technology itself is also unique in many ways. Basically, the cracking process involves passing ammonia through tubes filled with catalysts at very high temperatures in order to separate nitrogen and hydrogen. Our pilot process uses unique reactor tubes developed by Air Liquide that maximize energy efficiency. What that really means is we’re able to recover heat from the hot streams and recycle the energy within the system. 

This innovative approach allows for the highest possible ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion yield with zero direct CO₂ emissions.

As part of the successful development of this unit, key innovations were developed across critical areas such as process safety, material testing, efficient molecule separation, etc. It’s the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration between our R&D and engineering teams.

Looking ahead, what is Air Liquide's vision for scaling up this technology and its role in the future hydrogen market?

The experience gained from this pilot will be extremely valuable in optimizing the execution for future, larger ammonia cracking projects to be built around the world. We are already working on the scale-up of this technology with the Enhance project, which will consist of a large-scale ammonia cracker and an innovative hydrogen liquefier in the same industrial basin.

The commissioning of our ammonia cracking pilot unit in Antwerp is a crucial step that paves the way for new renewable hydrogen supply chains. The technology will be available to address market needs as imports of ammonia increase in different geographies. A significant trend towards ammonia importation and cracking is emerging in Western Europe, South Korea, and Japan. By 2050, the renewable and low-carbon ammonia market could reach 200 million² tons per year. By adding ammonia cracking to our technology portfolio, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our customers in their long-term decarbonization projects.

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