AFC Energy hails successful testing of ammonia cracker tech

23rd Oct 2023 07:29

(Sharecast News) - Hydrogen power generation technologies group AFC Energy has reached a new milestone with its new ammonia cracking technology, with testing proving its ability to deliver fuel cell grade hydrogen "on a modular, scalable basis".

Results, which have been independently tested by the UK's National Physical Laboratory, showed that the tech successfully achieved 99.99% hydrogen from single reactor testing.

AFC Energy's ammonia cracker enables ammonia to be "cracked" into hydrogen and nitrogen molecules. The hydrogen can then be consumed as a fuel in fuel cells or combustion with the nitrogen emitted to atmosphere with zero carbon emissions. However, the presence in the hydrogen of uncracked trace ammonia has the potential to damage fuel cells.

Regulations - namely the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14687:2019 - govern minimum quality characteristics of hydrogen as a fuel in vehicular and stationary fuel cell applications, and the maximum level of residual ammonia permitted.

"Testing confirmed ammonia levels in hydrogen stream were materially less than the limits required to meet ISO 14687:2019 standards for vehicular and stationary fuel cells," the company said.

Commenting on the results, AFC Energy's chief executive Adam Bond said: "Achieving the ISO standard is key for the global adoption of ammonia as a sustainable clean fuel."

The company said that ammonia is expected to play "a growing role in decarbonisation targets for industry and maritime due to its high energy density (relative to hydrogen gas) and potential to displace conventional fossil fuels and carbon emissions". Ammonia is also seen as an enabler to the international trade of hydrogen.