AFC Energy enters ammonia cracking partnership to support hydrogen production

AFC Energy, a UK-based provider of hydrogen power generation technologies, has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with an undisclosed industrial S&P 500 company to develop a range of small to large-scale ammonia crackers for hydrogen production using its proprietary modular ammonia cracking technology.

As informed, under the JDA, development costs incurred by the UK-based provider will be reimbursed by the industrial partner.

Upon completion of key milestones, the commercial relationship between the two parties is expected to generate material revenues for AFC Energy from 2027 onwards.

John Wilson, CEO of AFC Energy, said: “This announcement serves to underpin our strategy to deliver commercial viability of the hydrogen economy without government subsidy and will provide a further suite of roadmap products, alongside our hydrogen fuel cell power generators, to accelerate us to that point.”

“We are delighted to have signed the JDA with the Industrial Partner, whose commitment to AFC Energy’s proprietary ammonia cracker technology provides important industry peer validation, as we further commercialise and develop AFC’s offering. We look forward to developing our commercial relationship with the Industrial Partner and using our technology to help heavy industry to decarbonise its operations.”

To note, ammonia is considered an enabler to the international trade of hydrogen where this energy source is transported by ship in the form of ammonia and then cracked back into hydrogen at its target import destination.

In 2024, AFC Energy launched Hyamtec, a wholly-owned subsidiary established to commercialize the company’s next-generation distributed ammonia cracking business.

The key markets that the subsidiary is targeting are:

• hydrogen-rich fuel gas for decarbonizing industrial heat generation applications;
• ammonia conversion for large capacity combustion engines in power generation, marine and mining sectors; and
• modular, purified hydrogen production for fuel cells and transport applications.