Saudi Aramco and Linde Engineering to develop ammonia cracking technology
Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco and industrial gas plant developer Linde Engineering will build a ammonia cracking demonstration plant in northern Germany to test the technology.
PHOTO: In 2022, Linde Engineering built a full-scale pilot plant in Dormagen, Germany to extract hydrogen from natural gas pipelines. Linde Engineering
Ammonia cracking is a process where ammonia molecules are broken down into hydrogen and nitrogen molecules. It is typically done at temperatures of 850-950°C using a nickel catalyst, according to the Ammonia Energy Association.
The technology's "potential differentiator" is its ammonia-cracking catalyst, the companies claim. The catalyst was jointly developed by Aramco and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). It will be tested against other catalysts at the demo facility.
The companies have not yet disclosed further details on the technology. However, KAUST researchers published a study in 2021, demonstrating that “cobalt-based catalysts for ammonia decomposition can be efficiently used together with a Pd-Au [Palladium-Gold] based membrane to produce high purity hydrogen at elevated pressure.” This research was financially backed by Saudi Aramco.
The joint study will help Aramco develop an "economically viable low-carbon hydrogen supply chain,” said its chief technology officer Ahmad Al-Khowaiter. Low-carbon hydrogen – like blue and green hydrogen - can be used as feedstock for cleaner marine fuels like ammonia and methanol, or as pure hydrogen.
“Effective ammonia cracking technology supports the world’s urgent need for decarbonisation. By completing the missing link in the export chain, cleaner energy can be shipped from regions with high renewable and clean energy potential to those with more limited resources,” said John van der Velden, senior vice president of global sales and technology at Linde Engineering.
By Konica Bhatt
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