Located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, ammonia imported by ship can be cracked on-site to produce hydrogen for industry, mobility, or pipeline injection.

Air Liquide’s Armelle Levieux called the cracking plant a “world first” for low-carbon hydrogen supply chains.

“By proving the viability of industrial-scale ammonia cracking, Air Liquide demonstrates its capacity to innovate and provide concrete solutions for its customers, and contribute to the Energy Transition,” Levieux added.

The project received undisclosed financial support from the Flemish Government through the Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).

With high energy density, liquid storage, and use of existing infrastructure, ammonia is appealing to hard-to-abate industries such as maritime, though it must be cracked into hydrogen before use in applications like fuel cells.

According to the Global Maritime Forum, ammonia is nearing proof of concept, with pilot vessels, engine tests, and bunkering trials already in progress.

Major companies have been exploring ammonia cracking concepts. Earlier this year, Uniper and Thyssenkrupp Uhde agreed to jointly develop an industrial-scale plant in Germany with a 28 tonne-per-day capacity.