The consortium has said the system will be designed to deliver high-purity hydrogen, suitable for PEM fuel cell use, using FFI’s Metal Membrane Technology (MMT) purification process, which selectively filters hydrogen whilst blocking other gases.

With ammonia offering a high density, readily transportation and storage option for hydrogen, it is hoped the cracker and MMT, if successful will allow green hydrogen to be recovered without releasing carbon emissions, to be used for mobility and off-grid power applications.

GeoPura is set to use the hydrogen produced from the project to supply its off-grid Hydrogen Power Units (HPUs), to provide zero-emission power. This month (November 2022), the company announced its 250kW HPU powered a three-month maintenance outage at a Uniper natural gas plant in the UK.

Read more: Green hydrogen powers three-month maintenance outage at Uniper power plant in UK

H2 View understands the partners hope the technology could then be scaled-up for future markets such as industry, heat, and grid-scale power generation.

Steve Scrimshaw, Vice-President at Siemens Energy UK & Ireland, said, “We have just 13 years to deliver a Net Zero electricity grid for the UK. Time is running out and we can’t do this alone. This innovative green ammonia cracker could be a game-changer for scaling up the green hydrogen industry – an important step to drive the energy transition.”

Mark Hutchinson, CEO of FFI, added, “The research and development of technology like this is key to the success of green hydrogen globally. There is an overwhelming demand for supply of green hydrogen, particularly in Europe, and transport is central to ensuring that supply.

“We know that green hydrogen can be transported long distances as green ammonia, and, if successful, ammonia cracking coupled with MMT means that you can convert it as you need to, at the point of use. The work being done as part of this partnership stands to help make green ammonia a globally traded hydrogen carrier and fuel not just for the future but for today.”

A gasworld webinar in September (2022), heard that ammonia can be the workhorse of the hydrogen economy, with viewers hearing Joel Moser, CEO of First Ammonia, say, “We think of hydrogen as the crude oil. It is complicated to use in its pure form, but to transport it across long distances, it can be converted to ammonia.”

Read more: Ammonia can be the ‘workhorse of the hydrogen economy’, a gasworld webinar hears

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