Venture capital company NetZero Tech Ventures will invest in CatAmmon, a company developing an advanced ammonia cracking catalyst that could reduce costs while cutting the carbon emissions in the hydrogen supply chain.
A substantial supply of clean hydrogen is said to be needed to decarbonize industry and transportation. However, storing and transporting hydrogen is challenging due to its low density and the need for extreme cooling or high-pressure storage.
Ammonia, reportedly, holds great promise as a carrier for long-distance transport of hydrogen, provided it can be efficiently “cracked” back into hydrogen at the port of destination. This “cracking” is the process of breaking ammonia molecules back into hydrogen and nitrogen at the point of use.
CatAmmon’s breakthrough is a ceramic-based catalyst that, according to NetZero, reduces the ammonia cracking temperature from 700–800°C to 400–450°C.
“This temperature reduction improves process efficiency, extends the lifetime of cracking facilities, and significantly lowers energy consumption. Additionally, the catalyst is produced without the use of rare metals and can be manufactured at relatively low temperatures, contributing to its lower environmental impact and cost-effectiveness. We believe that these characteristics position it to become a new standard for ammonia cracking,” NetZero stated.
To note, the ammonia cracking market is expected to grow significantly. As of October 2024, at least 11 ammonia crackers are under development for hydrogen import, NetZero claimed, highlighting that “efficient ammonia cracking solutions—like CatAmmon’s low-cost, low-emission catalyst—are essential to scaling a global hydrogen supply chain.”
“With CatAmmon’s breakthrough technology, we’re taking another step toward making clean hydrogen more accessible and cost-effective,” the venture capital company concluded.