Marine energy infrastructure developer Höegh Evi and Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, have developed what is said to be the world’s first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker.
Launched in April 2023 as part of Norway’s green platform program, the development was completed years later, on April 24, 2025, marking ‘a major step’ in the energy transition.
As explained, the technology was designed to enable floating import terminals to produce hydrogen at industrial-scale volumes from transported ammonia.
The industrial-scale ammonia cracker has a modular design that allows integration into both hybrid floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) and dedicated floating hydrogen terminals. According to Höegh Evi, it is highly scalable with a send-out capacity of up to 210,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually. Ammonia storage can range from 10,000 to 120,000 cubic meters.
The ammonia cracker was constructed at Sustainable Energy’s Norwegian Catapult Center in Stord, Norway. Additional partners in the project include the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), University of South-East Norway, Sustainable Energy and BASF SE.
The Norwegian government provided nearly 50% of the funding for this project, which is approximately €5.9 million.
“The floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker developed by Höegh Evi, Wärtsilä and partners is a game-changer for the hydrogen economy and the energy transition in Europe. Our floating terminals and cracking technology can unlock the full potential of global value chains for green hydrogen, providing European industry with a reliable supply of clean energy within this decade,” said Erik Nyheim , CEO of Höegh Evi.
Walter Reggente , Vice President of Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, stated: “This pioneering development of the floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker represents a significant leap forward in our quest for sustainable energy solutions. Together with Höegh Evi and our partners, we are not only addressing the challenges of hydrogen storage and transportation but also paving the way for a more resilient and flexible energy infrastructure.”
The development of floating infrastructure with ammonia cracking technology is expected to unlock large-scale imports for the hydrogen grid and help Europe reach the EU’s REPower strategy objectives, which aim to import 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year by 2030.
To meet this demand, Höegh Evi is developing several hydrogen terminal projects in Europe, with targeted start of operations before 2030.
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