Air Liquide Launches Worlds First Industrial-Scale Ammonia-to-Hydrogen Conversion System

Air Liquide Leads Hydrogen Innovation

Air Liquide announced a major breakthrough in hydrogen technology. The company has successfully started the world’s first industrial-scale system that converts ammonia into hydrogen. This new technology is an important step for building cleaner energy supply chains. Moreover, the system has been installed at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. It is designed as a pilot unit, but it works at industrial scale. The plant is capable of converting about 30 tons of ammonia into hydrogen every day.

Furthermore, this development is important because it shows a practical way to use ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen. Hydrogen is difficult to transport over long distances, so ammonia can be used instead. Ammonia can be moved easily, and then it can be converted back into hydrogen when needed. Also, Air Liquide explained that ammonia is made from hydrogen and nitrogen. Because of this, it can store hydrogen in a more transport-friendly form. Many regions of the world already produce and transport ammonia at large scale, so this system can use existing infrastructure.

According to Towards Chemicals And Materials Analytics and Consulting, the liquid ammonia market size accounted for USD 92.55 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 98.51 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 172.75 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 6.44% from 2026 to 2035, due to increased demand for cleaner fuel.

Also, the new technology helps solve a major challenge in the hydrogen industry. Transporting hydrogen safely and efficiently has been a long-standing problem. Moreover, by converting ammonia into hydrogen at the destination, this issue becomes easier to manage. Moreover, the company said this innovation opens the door for new low-carbon hydrogen supply chains. It supports the goal of reducing carbon emissions in industries and transport. The hydrogen produced through this process can be used in different sectors that are trying to move away from fossil fuels.