Germany-based steelmaker thyssenkrupp has announced that its subsidiary thyssenkrupp Uhde has joined forces with German energy company Uniper to implement a large-scale ammonia cracker project in the country. In the project, ammonia will be broken down into its components, hydrogen and nitrogen, at high temperatures. Pure hydrogen will then be produced in a purification process. The project will also be backed by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Accordingly, the world’s first demonstration ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker with an ammonia processing capacity of 28 mt per day will be constructed at Uniper’s Gelsenkirchen-Scholven site. The project aims to convert imported ammonia into hydrogen on an industrial scale for use in several industries, including steel and energy.
Under normal circumstances, Germany is dependent on hydrogen imports. Consequently, the project is crucial not only for meeting Germany’s future hydrogen requirements, but also for strengthening energy security and facilitating the transformation of energy-intensive industries.
