Air Liquide has started operating what it describes as the first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot unit, a facility built to convert ammonia to hydrogen at a throughput of 30 tons per day. The unit is located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. Air Liquide presents the plant as a significant step toward making large-scale ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion workable in practical industrial settings. The company links the pilot to long-standing challenges of transporting hydrogen and points to ammonia’s established position as a globally traded carrier.
Ammonia is produced from hydrogen and nitrogen and can be manufactured in regions with abundant renewable or low-carbon energy before being shipped through existing global infrastructure. Once delivered, it can be cracked back into hydrogen, creating a route that allows decarbonization efforts in the industrial and mobility sectors. Air Liquide says this configuration supports emerging low-carbon and renewable hydrogen supply chains, with the ammonia-to-hydrogen process acting as a connective element between producing regions and final users.
The company notes that the pilot incorporates new technology developments intended to broaden its portfolio for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. The project involved proprietary work across several technical areas, including process safety, material testing, catalysis for ammonia cracking, ammonia combustion and efficient molecule separation. Air Liquide highlights the shift from laboratory research to an industrial-scale operation as an indication of its ability to advance first-of-its-kind solutions.
Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee with responsibility for Innovation and Technology and Hydrogen Energy activities, said: “The commissioning of our ammonia cracking pilot unit in Antwerp is a key milestone. This is a world’s first which paves the way for new 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 contributing to the Energy Transition. I am immensely proud of the work and commitment of all our teams who made this achievement possible.”
Air Liquide says the pilot will be used to validate operating conditions and safety measures that would be needed for wider deployment. The company also notes that enabling ammonia to hydrogen conversions directly at a port terminal could support alternative logistics pathways by allowing ammonia shipments to be received and processed onshore. Supported by the Flemish Government through VLAIO, the project is presented as groundwork for future industrial and onshore cracking sites capable of producing hydrogen where it is required.
