In an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of its hydrogen supply chain, Saudi Aramco has partnered with German gas processing firm Linde Engineering to jointly create advanced ammonia cracking technology. This technology uses a catalyst to separate ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen and is mainly utilised to generate energy or produce industrial products.

The companies plan to combine their knowledge in research and development, decarbonisation, and ammonia cracking to discover fresh commercial avenues. To this end, Aramco and Linde Engineering will assemble a demo plant in Northern Germany to display the new technology.

“This agreement is part of our ongoing technology and business development efforts to establish a commercially viable lower-carbon hydrogen supply chain. We believe the advanced ammonia cracking technology we are co-developing with Linde Engineering will play a key role in realizing our objectives,” said Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Aramco.

As per the press release, Linde Engineering looks forward to making the technology accessible to their existing and potential customers in an effort to make the world more sustainable. Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Technology at Linde Engineering, John van der Velden commented that effective ammonia cracking technology can support the world’s mission of rapid decarbonisation. Furthermore, he stated that this technology enables cleaner energy to be exported from areas that possess abundant renewable and clean energy sources to regions with fewer resources.

“We look forward to working closely with Aramco to develop and commercialize this important technology, creating new business opportunities for Linde Engineering and Aramco,” added van der Velden.

At present, Linde Engineering is among the world’s top organizations in gas processing, storage, and distribution with 180 hydrogen fueling stations and 80 hydrogen electrolysis plants. On the other hand, Aramco reported a total income of $161 billion in 2022, a year-on-year growth of 48.15 percent.