Ammonia cracking

Climate change is one of humanity's biggest challenges, and the planet's demand for low-carbon, high purity energy product is at an all-time high. 

Hydrogen is often referred to as 'the fuel of the future' and is expected to play an important role in our strive towards net zero.

But hydrogen's potential for becoming a viable and sustainable energy option for the future faces a significant barrier. Its scalable, low-carbon, and low-cost production is not always co-located with demand, and it is notoriously difficult to store and transport. Without a global-scale storage and transportation solution to bridge the supply-demand gap, worldwide availability of hydrogen will become difficult. 

Enter ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and proven ammonia cracking at scale.

Ammonia is the ideal hydrogen carrier for long-distance transport at scale. And for good reason. Ammonia's long-standing use in the industrial fertilizer and chemical sectors has created a well-established infrastructure which could facilitate a smooth transition for hydrogen energy distribution. 

Ammonia also stands out as the carbon-free liquid possessing the highest energy and hydrogen density. And it is also relatively easy to transport and distribute over long distances. This is due to its ability to be liquified and maintained in liquid form for extended periods at ambient pressure, with cooling to temperatures below -33°C being easily achievable. 

An efficient ammonia cracking solution that can convert ammonia back into hydrogen, is all that's needed to release ammonia's potential as energy carrier.

At Topsoe, this energy-efficient solution is called H2Retake^TM.

• Well-established infrastructure

• Scalable supply

• Low-carbon and renewable production routes

• Global supply chain

• The carbon-free liquid possessing the highest energy and hydrogen density

• Diverse off-take channels

• Easy to liquify and transport

• Can be stored at atmospheric pressure and modest cooling

• Crackable energy carrier

H2Retake is backed by decades of industrial experience in large-scale industrial ammonia cracking. Our reference plant in Arroyito, Argentina, holds a capacity of up to 2,400 MTPD, and is optimized to perform exceptionally well under ammonia cracking conditions. All the core components of H2Retake, including catalyst technology and supporting solutions, have achieved a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 9. This places us in a unique market position to deliver both process and catalyst guarantees.