Hydrogen production company H2Site has designed and constructed an efficient ammonia cracker utilising membrane reactor technology to produce fuel cell-grade hydrogen for transport and maritime applications.
Part of the Ammogen project located at Tyseley Energy Park (TEP), Birmingham, UK, the project will use ammonia to store hydrogen and convert it to hydrogen in one step. Ammonia is considered a carrier of choice worldwide to transport hydrogen.
Jose Medrano, Technical Director, H2Site said: “This project is a steppingstone for us, as it validates the technology of the membrane reactor for ammonia cracking. We plan to scale it up to process tons per day within the next two years for use in import hubs and maritime applications.”
The system designed and assembled by H2Site will produce 200kg of green hydrogen per day. H2Site’s ammonia cracking and separation technology consists of the integration of H2-selective membranes immersed in a catalytic bed where ammonia is cracked into its products. As the reaction produces hydrogen, the technology separates the hydrogen in-situ through these membranes, eliminating the need for downstream separation units. The selective separation of hydrogen in H2Site’s membrane reactors results in virtually complete ammonia conversions at mild temperatures, with over 98% hydrogen recovery, always meeting fuel-cell grade standards.
In collaboration with partners such as TEP, the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Gemserv (Talan), Equans, Yara International, and the University of Birmingham, the Ammogen project aims to promote the international hydrogen trade.
H2Site was created in 2020 and claims exclusive technology for reactors and separators for the conversion of different feedstocks into hydrogen, including ammonia, methanol, or syngas, in addition to the separation of hydrogen from gaseous mixtures in low concentration.
