Air Liquide Unveils World-First Industrial-Scale Technology to Convert Ammonia into Hydrogen, Unlocking New Low-Carbon Supply Chains
Air Liquide has successfully launched the world’s first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot plant at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium — a breakthrough that marks a major step forward for the global low-carbon hydrogen economy. The new pilot unit can convert 30 tonnes of ammonia per day into hydrogen, demonstrating a crucial missing link in enabling large-scale, efficient, and cost-effective hydrogen transport.
This pioneering technology provides a viable pathway to produce renewable and low-carbon hydrogen from ammonia at scale, opening the door to new hydrogen supply chains that support the decarbonisation of heavy industry, mobility, and global energy systems.
Transporting hydrogen over long distances remains one of the biggest challenges in developing a robust hydrogen economy. Ammonia, made from hydrogen and nitrogen, is already produced and transported worldwide using established infrastructure. Thanks to this innovation, ammonia can now be shipped from regions rich in renewable energy — such as areas with abundant solar, wind, or hydro resources — and “cracked” back into hydrogen closer to the point of use. This makes global clean-hydrogen delivery far more practical and cost-efficient.
Air Liquide’s new proprietary ammonia-cracking technology is the result of major advances in catalysis, process safety, material testing, combustion systems, and advanced molecule-separation techniques. The successful commissioning of the pilot unit proves Air Liquide’s ability to scale laboratory breakthroughs into real industrial solutions that address urgent decarbonisation needs.
Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, said:
“The commissioning of our ammonia cracking pilot unit in Antwerp is a key milestone. This world-first achievement paves the way for new low-carbon hydrogen supply chains. By demonstrating the viability of industrial-scale ammonia cracking, Air Liquide shows its ability to innovate and provide concrete solutions for the energy transition. I am incredibly proud of the teams who made this possible.”
This world-leading development strengthens Air Liquide’s expanding portfolio of clean hydrogen technologies and reinforces the company’s role as a key driver of the global transition to a net-zero future.
