Air Liquide has taken a critical step toward resolving one of the hydrogen sector’s most persistent bottlenecks: long-distance transport at scale.
With the commissioning of a 30-ton-per-day ammonia cracking pilot unit at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the company has demonstrated industrial-scale conversion of ammonia back into hydrogen, technology widely viewed as essential to enabling global hydrogen trade flows.
For years, ammonia has been positioned as the most viable carrier for transporting hydrogen from regions with abundant renewable resources to energy-importing economies. Existing global infrastructure for ammonia production, storage, and maritime logistics provides a cost-effective pathway for moving hydrogen across continents. Yet the missing link has been the ability to crack ammonia efficiently and safely at industrial volumes. Air Liquide’s pilot, supported by the Flemish Government’s VLAIO innovation agency, offers the first large-scale proof point that this gap can be bridged.
At 30 TPD, the Antwerp-Bruges unit is not merely a technology demonstration but a signal that ammonia cracking is approaching commercial readiness. The system integrates several proprietary advances—from high-performance catalysts and optimized ammonia combustion to enhanced material testing and efficient molecular separation. These innovations target long-standing challenges around process safety, hydrogen purity, and system durability, which have historically constrained scaling efforts.
Industrial and mobility sectors aiming to access low-carbon or renewable hydrogen have struggled with supply chain design, particularly when domestic production costs remain high or renewable availability is limited. Industrial-scale cracking enables hydrogen imports from regions with lower-cost solar, wind, or hydro resources, expanding procurement strategies for refineries, chemical plants, steel producers, and heavy transport operators. As more countries explore ammonia-based hydrogen import terminals, proven cracking performance becomes strategically important for de-risking investment cases.
Air Liquide positions the pilot as part of a broader portfolio expansion in low-carbon hydrogen, leveraging decades of gas-handling expertise to bridge laboratory development and commercial deployment. The company has emphasized that industrial clients increasingly expect turnkey solutions rather than fragmented technology components. Speaking on the commissioning, Armelle Levieux, Executive Committee member overseeing Innovation, Technology, and Hydrogen Energy, highlighted the project as a milestone that “paves the way for new low-carbon hydrogen supply chains,” noting its role in helping customers advance their own energy transition plans.
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