AFC Energy, a leading provider of hydrogen power generation technologies, has announced significant milestones achieved with its next-generation modular ammonia cracker reactor technology. The latest modular ammonia cracker architecture has demonstrated better than expected operational efficiency, achieving 9.5 kWh of electrical power consumed per kilogram of hydrogen generated, representing a 33% saving in electrical power over the 2023 design. This milestone was reached a year ahead of schedule. The European Parliament asserts that today's electrolysers require between 50-55kWh/kg of hydrogen produced, suggesting that AFC Energy's ammonia cracker will deliver distributed modular hydrogen at less than 1/5th of the power demand of an equivalent-sized electrolyser.
AFC Energy's cracker design benefits from being able to utilize heat and/or waste hydrogen byproducts to lower the electrical power demand even further. The cracker reactors have reached full operation within 10 minutes of being started at room temperature, providing a flexible system that can rapidly respond to demand profiles. The company has successfully operated its proprietary fuel cell technology with the latest generation of its ammonia cracker reactor, highlighting the potential hydrogen purity levels achievable. AFC Energy's latest generation ammonia cracker technology affords world-class efficiency in the reconversion of hydrogen from ammonia at less than 10 kilowatt hours per kilogram of hydrogen, compared to electrolysers which are generally rated between 50 and 55 kilowatt hours per kilogram of hydrogen.
The production of green hydrogen through electrolysis is an energy-intensive process and requires large volumes of low-cost renewable energy to be commercially viable. AFC Energy's ammonia cracker technology reaffirms the thesis that green hydrogen production from green ammonia makes economic sense in grid-constrained and high power cost countries. The company's ammonia cracker has the potential to play a key role in the international trade of hydrogen as a fuel, supporting the process of converting hydrogen gas into liquid form, such as ammonia, before export to maximize the energy density of the fuel during transport.
Adam Bond, Chief Executive at AFC Energy, expressed confidence in the company's market-leading ammonia cracker technology, stating that it places them in an excellent position to further build out their first series of modular packaged units for customer evaluation. The company has welcomed many visitors to its larger cracker demonstration utilizing prior year's technology, further evidencing the growth in market demand for their cracker technology.
AFC Energy plc is a leading provider of hydrogen energy solutions, offering clean electricity for on and off-grid power applications. The company's fuel cell technology is now deployable as electric vehicle chargers, off-grid decentralized power systems for construction and temporary power, with emerging opportunities across maritime, data centers, and rail as part of a portfolio approach to the decarbonization of society's growing electrification needs.