The demonstration will be one of the world’s largest ammonia to H₂ modular cracker demonstration in operation with the system designed to deliver 140 tpy (400 kg/d) of fuel cell grade H₂. OCI will supply ammonia via its Rotterdam terminal, where it imports from its facilities in the U.S. and MENA enabling a tangible demonstration of ammonia’s role in supporting global H₂ trade.

AFC Energy’s cracker system consumes a small fraction of the power consumed by electrolyzers, highlighting an ideal distributed H₂ source potential, whether for use in stationary (including motive refueling) or maritime applications. H₂ produced from the plant could be supplied to customers of the Company’s H-Power Generators (including Speedy H₂ Solutions) and third party customers. 

The cracker demonstration plant has been designed, built and commissioned by AFC Energy over the course of 2023, leading to the successful first production of cracked H₂ this week. The demonstration plant, including purification technology, will now be operated and validated over several months with targeted fuel cell grade H₂ production.

Engineering will start in 2024 to containerize the ammonia cracker platform, including purification technology, to enable mobile, distributed H₂ production at the point of consumption with an initial focus on European and Asian markets.

AFC Energy has signed its first Letter of Intent with the trading arm of one of Europe’s largest energy companies to market the potential for ammonia as a H₂ carrier fuel to its customers and is in dialogue with multiple European project partners, demonstrating the high growth potential of its modular, scalable cracker technology.

Adam Bond, Chief Executive, AFC Energy said, “With an ammonia cracker offering market leading efficiency, low power consumption and the production of fuel cell grade H₂, AFC Energy’s first pilot project is a major step forward in unlocking the barriers of H₂ logistics and transport. The cracker system, in containerized form, will be capable of replication across Europe and Asia with our ability to generate low cost, decarbonized H₂ from internationally traded green and blue ammonia being a key step forward in the evolution of the global H₂ market.”