H2SITE launches the first on-board ammonia cracking system that produces high purity hydrogen together with a PEM fuel cell.

H2SITE has successfully validated the first ammonia cracker to produce high purity hydrogen for on-board power generation using a PEM fuel cell. An integrated membrane reactor has been installed and operated on board the supply vessel BERTHA B, sailing off the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

Shipping is responsible for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and has significant potential for emission reductions by switching from hydrocarbons to green fuel options such as hydrogen. Ammonia cracking is gaining acceptance as a possible hydrogen carrier for shipboard applications, either directly in engines or where the ammonia can be cracked into hydrogen and used in fuel cells. However, the hydrogen needs to be purified before it can be used, especially if traces of ammonia are still present.

H2SITE's membrane reactors ensure that all ammonia is transformed, while supplying high-purity hydrogen to the fuel cell in a single step. While sailing, as part of the H2OCEAN project, the H2SITE cracker has successfully powered the vessel's auxiliary services. This has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of active players in the field of offshore decarbonisation, such as Zumaia Offshore, Erhardt Offshore, Ajusa and Tecnalia, together with the involvement of Enagas and ABS.

H2SITE was founded in 2020 and has unique technology for reactors and separators, enabling the conversion of various feedstocks into hydrogen. These feedstocks include ammonia, methanol or syngas, as well as the separation of hydrogen from gaseous mixtures in low concentrations for applications in salt caverns or geological hydrogen.

Source: H2SITE