The trial at MHI’s Nagasaki District Research & Innovation Center was conducted with chemicals producer Nippon Shokubai and power utility Hokkaido Electric Power Company to demonstrate the novel cracking technology.

Unlike traditional systems that use heat from burner combustion to force the reaction, MHI claims its system uses steam to lower reaction temperatures and potentially reduce operating costs.

Additionally, without the use of a burner, the Japanese industrial major believes the system could be miniaturised, meaning it could be more easily installed at ports to support hydrogen imports.

The project has been supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Development Organization through a programme aimed at developing technologies to advance hydrogen supply chains.

Ammonia is viewed as a hydrogen transportation solution because it can store hydrogen densely in a stable, easily liquefied form that can be moved and handled more efficiently than pure hydrogen.

While the compound is already traded in its millions of tonnes for fertilisers and other applications, critics say the energy-intensive synthesis and cracking processes undermine its potential.

Japan is increasingly looking to bolster its clean hydrogen imports to meet its decarbonisation goals in sectors like transportation and power generation. However, limited land availability and relatively low renewables penetration look set to see it rely on low-cost exporting nations.