French industrial gas supplier Air Liquide has been awarded a grant of €110 million from the European Innovation Fund for its ENHANCE project in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium, that aims to produce and distribute low-carbon and renewable hydrogen derived from ammonia.
As part of the project, Air Liquide intends to build, own and operate a large-scale renewable ammonia cracking plant and an “innovative” hydrogen liquefier. The company plans to retrofit one of its hydrogen production units in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, using renewable ammonia as a feedstock instead of natural gas.
This new facility would support the development of a low-carbon and renewable hydrogen supply chain in Europe and contribute to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries such as maritime transport, Air Liquide said, adding that replacing natural gas with ammonia to produce gaseous and liquid hydrogen would allow the project to reduce the CO2 emissions by more than 300,000 tonnes per year.
According to Air Liquide, ENHANCE is the first European industrial-scale project for the production and distribution of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen using ammonia as a feedstock, and receiving this funding is an essential milestone in making a final investment decision (FID) and starting its execution.
Armelle Levieux, Member of the Executive Committee of Air Liquide, stated: “The combination of ammonia cracking and hydrogen liquefaction technologies offers an additional solution to support the growth of the global hydrogen market. We welcome the support from the European Commission for our ENHANCE project, which contributes to the emergence of a viable infrastructure for the supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in Europe.”
“In line with our ADVANCE strategic plan, this project supports Air Liquide’s commitment to the energy transition, with low-carbon hydrogen playing a key role for the decarbonization of the industry and mobility. ENHANCE supports European ambitions towards carbon neutrality.”
To remind, in 2024, Air Liquide joined the Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs) to support the global rollout of green liquid hydrogen ecosystems through ZESTAs events and advocacy. Furthermore, the company issued a €500 million green bond to finance or refinance flagship energy transition and sustainable projects, in particular in low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and low-carbon air gases.