Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, and Höegh Evi, have completed development of a floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker.
This technology enables floating import terminals to produce hydrogen at industrial-scale volumes from transported ammonia, marking a major step in the energy transition. The project was announced in April 2023 and is part of Norway’s green platform programme.
The industrial-scale ammonia cracker has a modular design that allows integration into both hybrid FSRUs and dedicated floating hydrogen terminals.
The technology is highly scalable with a send-out capacity of up to 210 000 tpy of hydrogen. Ammonia storage can range from 10 000m³ - 120,000m³.
“The floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker developed by Höegh Evi, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, and partners is key for the hydrogen economy and the energy transition in Europe. Our floating terminals and cracking technology can unlock the full potential of global value chains for green hydrogen, providing European industry with a reliable supply of clean energy within this decade,” said Erik Nyheim, CEO of Höegh Evi.
“This development of the floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker represents a step forward in our quest for sustainable energy solutions," added Kjell Ove Ulstein, Sales and Marketing Director, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.
The project has received approximately €5.9 million in funding from the Norwegian Government’s green platform programme, representing approximately 50% of the total budget. The ammonia cracker was constructed at Sustainable Energy’s Norwegian Catapult Centre in Stord, Norway. Additional partners in the project include the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), University of South-East Norway, Sustainable Energy, and BASF SE.
According to the EU’s REPower strategy, Europe plans to import 10 million tpy of renewable hydrogen by 2030. As the development of the hydrogen grid progresses, floating infrastructure with ammonia cracking technology can unlock large scale imports, supplying hard-to-abate industries with a stable baseload energy source and balance within the energy system.
Hydrogen is emerging as a viable sustainable fuel in the move away from fossil fuels, and can be produced at a relatively low cost in countries where there is ample access to renewable power. However, it is difficult to store and transport hydrogen, due to its low volumetric energy density and with potentially large vaporisation losses. Ammonia is significantly better suited than hydrogen for this purpose. It can be stored in liquid form at moderate pressures and temperatures, and transported over long distances by ship. When it arrives at the receiving destination, the ammonia cracker will convert the ammonia back to hydrogen for distribution into the core energy grid.