The project broadens Air Liquide’s low-carbon and renewable hydrogen portfolio, introducing innovations in safety, materials testing, advanced catalysis for ammonia cracking, ammonia combustion, and efficient molecule separation to scale from lab to industrial use.

Supported by the Flemish Government through VLAIO, the project gains regional backing to advance its hydrogen initiatives.

Air Liquide has started up the world’s first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot unit, capable of 30 tons per day, to convert ammonia into hydrogen at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

The initiative demonstrates Air Liquide’s ability to translate laboratory research into industrial applications and to develop first-of-their-kind solutions for clients.

Armelle Levieux, a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, described the commissioning as a key milestone that enables new low-carbon hydrogen supply chains and underscores the company’s role in the energy transition.

Ammonia is presented as a cost-effective hydrogen carrier that can be produced where renewable energy is abundant and shipped globally for later hydrogen production, with ammonia cracking offering a viable pathway for long-distance hydrogen supply and decarbonization of industry and mobility.