Ammonia Cracking for High Purity Hydrogen

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£2,726,705

Feb. 1, 2022

Jan. 31, 2024

The project will develop and demonstrate a system capable of producing hydrogen from "cracked" ammonia for use in PEM fuel cells. This will enable the final step in demonstrating the bulk hydrogen storage and supply chain based on green or blue ammonia (NH3), with lower costs than storing and distributing bulk hydrogen (H2).

With a higher energy density, hydrogen offers significant advantages to batteries for transport applications, particular for larger vehicles, buses and trains. It can also enable the decarbonisation of off-grid power, including construction sites, data centres, events, festivals and supporting urban electric vehicle recharging stations. These end-users are well-suited as the first users of a bulk hydrogen supply chain based on low/zero-carbon ammonia. Once established, these supply chains provide a basis for scale up to deliver hydrogen in the quantities--- and low costs--- needed to decarbonise other sectors such as industry, power generation and heat.

Ammonia has a high hydrogen density and is readily and cheaply transported and stored in liquid form. The ammonia industry is mature, with existing storage assets and a well-established safety record. A bulk hydrogen supply chain based around ammonia offers lower logistics costs and smaller footprints than an equivalent gaseous (or liquid) hydrogen supply chain. It also enables large, centralised hydrogen production at remote sites -- which often have the lowest production costs.