Air Liquide’s Technology Can Convert Ammonia into Hydrogen at Industrial Scale

World First Air Liquide’s Technology Can Convert Ammonia into Hydrogen at Industrial Scale

2025-11-20 Source: Press release Air Liquide 2 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

AIR LIQUIDE Deutschland GmbH

Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

Italvacuum, Srl

Angst+Pfister AG

Air Liquide has started-up the world’s first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot unit with a 30 tons per day ammonia to hydrogen conversion capacity at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium, thus paving the way for new low-carbon supply chains.

This groundbreaking innovation demonstrates a key missing technology brick to a viable pathway for converting ammonia into hydrogen, and unlocks challenges of transportation of hydrogen. (Source: Air Liquide) — This groundbreaking innovation demonstrates a key missing technology brick to a viable pathway for converting ammonia into hydrogen, and unlocks challenges of transportation of hydrogen.
(Source: Air Liquide)

Paris/France – Air Liquide has recently announced the successful start-up of the world’s first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot unit with a 30 tons per day ammonia to hydrogen conversion capacity at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium. This groundbreaking innovation demonstrates a key missing technology brick to a viable pathway for converting ammonia into hydrogen, and unlocks challenges of transportation of hydrogen. This technology proven at the industrial scale for the development of world scale ammonia cracking plants enables access to low-carbon and renewable hydrogen for the decarbonization of industry and mobility.

The ability to efficiently transport hydrogen over long distances is a persistent challenge in developing a robust global hydrogen economy. Ammonia (NH3), formed by hydrogen and nitrogen molecules, emerges as a valuable hydrogen carrier. It can be cost-effectively produced in regions rich in renewable energy sources, such as solar, hydro, and wind or other low-carbon power. A well-established global infrastructure already exists for the large-scale production, transportation, and utilization of ammonia. This allows for the export of ammonia from energy-abundant regions to end-users worldwide, where it can then be "cracked" back into hydrogen, providing a crucial component for decarbonizing industry and mobility.

Stay up to Date

Do you want the latest news, specialist articles and information on new products? Then you can register for our free newsletter:

Choose your Newsletter

This new, proprietary ammonia cracking technology expands Air Liquide's portfolio for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen production. As part of the successful development of this unit, key proprietary innovations were developed across critical areas including process safety, material testing, advanced catalysis for ammonia cracking, ammonia combustion, and efficient molecule separation.

Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, notably supervising Innovation and Technology activities as well as Hydrogen Energy activities, stated: “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.”

This industrial scale pilot plant has been supported by the Flemish Government through VLAIO (Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship).

(ID:50634231)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.