Global hydrogen market: Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde sign framework agreement on the use of ammonia cracking technology

Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde have signed a framework agreement that lays the foundation for the construction of commercial ammonia cracking plants. Uniper has secured license packages for the use of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s ammonia cracking technology. The agreement covers up to six large-scale plants with a total capacity of 7,200 metric tons of ammonia per day (mtpd). The use of hydrogen from ammonia on an industrial scale will make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of national and European industry. The direct transport of hydrogen is both technically and economically challenging, while ammonia is an ideal transport and storage medium. Ammonia can be liquefied relatively easily and shipped long distances in large quantities. Without high-performance cracker technology, large-volume imports of hydrogen are not feasible. This project is therefore an important step toward establishing a resilient energy infrastructure in Europe.

The agreement establishes the terms for using the technology at Uniper’s planned hydrogen import terminal in Wilhelmshaven. The license package includes engineering, services and the supply of main equipment and catalysts. Uniper is currently driving forward the pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) for a commercial plant at its Wilhelmshaven site. This pre-FEED phase will establish the design basis for the project, define its scope in more detail, further review its technoeconomic feasibility, and reduce its uncertainties and risks. The goal is to create a solid foundation for the subsequent FEED phase. The FEED phase is scheduled to start at the end of next year.

Back in spring 2025, Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde announced the construction of one of the world’s first demonstration plants for ammonia cracking at the Uniper power plant site in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven, Germany. The plant, with a capacity of 28 metric tonnes of ammonia per day, serves as a technological foundation for the commercial scale-up that has now been agreed. Signing this framework agreement, which includes licenses for large-scale commercial plants, is the next logical step in bringing this key technology for global hydrogen trading to industrial maturity. The demonstration plant, which is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, plays a key role in ensuring energy security and facilitating the sustainable transformation of energy-intensive industries.