Catalyst development
Developing new catalysts
The project aims to make commercially attractive and safe H₂ transport/storage technologies via green ammonia.
This will enable distributed hydrogen production, providing opportunities for new businesses and the development of new centres for economic growth.
There are core industrial business interests in these aspects by AMAZE partners.
From catalyst development to technology validation
Pilot plant
Design and construction of pilot plant
technologies validation
Validation of new NH3 synthesis and cracking technologies
Existing technical solutions based on the Haber-Bosch (HB) process will be elevated to a new level.
Although many components are mature as stand-alone products, integrating them into a pilot plant represents a key challenge during project implementation and execution.
Modular, flexible and resilient technology
The goal is to develop a modular technology (container-based and movable to testing sites) where individual elements are combined flexibly to meet different market demands:
- Ammonia as a chemical
- Ammonia as a fuel
- Ammonia as an H₂-vector
AMAZE will increase:
Flexibility
Adapting technology to different requirements, including plant size.
Resilience
Enabling distributed H₂ production throughout the EU, including small and rural areas, not only industrial sites.
Key Technologies
Process for Green Ammonia Synthesis
STATE OF THE ART
The Haber-Bosch (HB) process converts nitrogen and hydrogen at:
- High temperature (>400 °C)
- High pressure (>100 bar)
It is thermodynamically limited with low per-pass conversion (<20%), and the core process has remained almost unchanged for a century.
Renewable energy inputs are difficult to implement due to:
- High operating pressure
- Process inflexibility
- Need for stable energy supply
This is incompatible with intermittent renewable sources (solar, wind, tidal).
POSITIONING
Green NH₃ synthesis is currently around TRL 4–5, with pilot plants under construction, mainly by startup companies.
Further improvement is required:
- Optimized low-temperature catalysts
- Improved performance under fluctuating H₂ loads
- Operation at lower pressures
- Enhanced catalyst stability
Existing catalysts do not yet meet these requirements.
Casale SA has developed:
- AmoMax®-Casale catalyst (with Clariant)
- A novel low-temperature NH₃ synthesis catalyst (with UCL)
These must be optimized for:
- Fluctuating H₂ supply from electrolysers
- Process engineering optimization
Combining traditional and innovative approaches is key to achieving the project’s ambition.
Ammonia Cracking Technology
STATE OF THE ART
Green hydrogen production by electrolysis depends on large renewable electricity availability, often not present at utilization sites.
Therefore, hydrogen vectors are necessary.
- NH₃ is suitable because it:
- Is easy to store and transport
- Has high hydrogen content
- Has established logistics and markets
However, NH₃ cracking:
- Is endothermic
- Has the lowest TRL
- Requires large energy input
- Often uses noble-metal catalysts
- Operates at high temperatures (>800 °C)
It is not yet mature from an industrial perspective.
POSITIONING
NH₃ cracking is at demonstration stage under industrial conditions, but several issues remain:
- Integration of exothermic NH₃ synthesis and endothermic NH₃ cracking
- Process engineering optimization
- Development of non-Critical Raw Materials (nCRMs) thermocatalysts
- Target operation temperature < 450 °C
The project will also develop:
- Novel electrocatalytic NH₃ cracking
- Zero-gap type electrocatalytic cells
- Improved catalyst stability
- Alternative approaches to overcome solubility and current density limitations
Electrocatalytic cracking remains largely unexplored and requires further development.
The ambition of AMAZE
The ambition of AMAZE is to develop and demonstrate innovative, cost-effective, energy-, carbon- and resource-efficient technologies for hydrogen and renewable fuels along the entire value chain, integrating green ammonia synthesis and cracking into a flexible, distributed and industrially viable solution.