H2SITE secures EIC Accelerator funding to set up an ammonia cracker in a port in the north-west of Europe.
H2SITE has been awarded funding from the EIC (European Innovation Council) Accelerator programme for a project to deploy a first-of-its-kind ammonia cracking unit capable of producing one ton of high-purity hydrogen per day. The system is based on H2SITE's patented palladium-based membrane reactor technology, which enables the simultaneous catalytic decomposition of ammonia and selective hydrogen separation within a single unit.
The technology developed by the Basque start-up offers several key advantages over conventional ammonia cracking processes.
- Lower levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) from ammonia due to its high efficiency and integrated design.
- Lower energy consumption by operating at significantly lower temperatures (400-450°C) than traditional cracking methods (typically 600-800°C).
- High-purity hydrogen production, compliant with ISO 14687 Grade D, suitable for direct use in fuel cells and industrial applications.
- Compact and modular design, facilitating decentralised hydrogen production.
The ammonia cracking system will serve as a demonstration plant, with a view to validating the technological and commercial readiness of H2SITE's integrated membrane reactor approach at a relevant industrial scale so as to advance the decarbonisation of hard-to-reduce sectors.
As the hydrogen economy develops, efficient solutions for transporting low-carbon hydrogen are essential. Ammonia is a promising hydrogen carrier due to its high volumetric energy density and existing infrastructure, and over 20 million tons of ammonia are transported by ship every year. Advances in ammonia cracking technology, such as H2SITE's integrated membrane reactor, will contribute to making this option more competitive and enable flexible, large-scale hydrogen supply chains.
Source: H2SITE
