Thyssenkrupp and Johnson Matthey ally on integrated blue ammonia solution

May 21, 2024, by Aida Čučuk

Thyssenkrupp Uhde, a Germany-based subsidiary of thyssenkrupp that specializes in chemical engineering, and Johnson Matthey (JM), a UK-based sustainable technologies company, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly offer a fully integrated low-carbon (blue) ammonia solution.

Courtesy of thyssenkrupp Uhde and Johnson Matthey

According to thyssenkrupp, in the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, the role of ammonia has expanded from an ingredient used to produce fertilizer for the agricultural sector to a decarbonized carrier and supplier of hydrogen energy that’s easier to store and transport than pure hydrogen.

Thyssenkrupp said: “The movement of low carbon ammonia can utilize existing infrastructure making it a leading energy transition solution that’s ready to capture, store, and ship vast quantities of hydrogen for use in the power and shipping sector, and industrial value chains globally.”

The company claimed that by joining forces, thyssenkrupp Uhde and JM can access the blue ammonia market together offering technologies combining Uhde’s ammonia process and JM’s hydrogen expertise.

Lucretia Löscher, COO of thyssenkrupp Uhde, commented: “At thyssenkrupp Uhde, we are committed to our purpose, ‘we create a livable planet’. With this strong partnership we further broaden our portfolio of climate-friendly solutions and can help our customers even better to reach their sustainability goals.”

Alberto Giovanzana, Managing Director – Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Matthey, stated: “We know multiple routes are needed in the energy transition, and ammonia provides several options because it can be used directly in power and shipping industries, and as a hydrogen carrier to safely transport hydrogen to areas it is not easy to produce.”

“Combining our expertise and over two decades worth of partnership with thyssenkrupp Uhde, we are excited to offer this technology which will allow our customers to produce ammonia with significantly lower CO2 emissions.”

To remind, in 2023, thyssenkrupp Uhde was engaged by Ark Energy, an Australian renewable energy company, on behalf of the Han-Ho H2 consortium, to deliver a feasibility study to support the development of the Han-Ho H2 hub project.

Furthermore, the company signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to explore a long-term partnership to create new markets for hydrogen and promote global clean energy value chains with a focus on a joint project development of large-scale ammonia cracking, used to extract hydrogen from ammonia after transportation.