The project has been developed by the Ammogen Consortium, a multi-disciplinary and multi-national team dedicated to driving forward hydrogen fuel supply chains in the UK and worldwide.

On Wednesday 17 May, consortium partners gathered at Tyseley Energy Park (TEP) to mark the construction milestone for the facility which, once commissioned, will deliver 200kg per day of transport-grade hydrogen to the hydrogen refuelling station at TEP. 

Funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the £6.7million project is expected to be the world’s largest and most efficient ammonia to hydrogen conversion unit of its kind.

The facility will use technology developed by H2SITE that derives hydrogen from ammonia through a process called cracking. Cracking uses a high temperature furnace to separate ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen, after which the hydrogen is filtered and purified for use as fuel.

Speaking about this construction milestone, Alex Goody, Chief Executive of consortium lead Gemserv said: "Hydrogen is a crucial energy vector in the mission to net zero, and a major market challenge in the ability to transport hydrogen to where it's needed. Ammonia could be that carrier to unlock green hydrogen and production globally. Gemserv is pleased to be working with our market leading consortium partners and Government in this project and hope to add to both the local community in Birmingham and our nation's drive to net zero."

Speaking about the construction James Graham, Divisional CEO for EQUANS UK & Ireland, said: “The laying of the foundations marks an important step as we move into the construction phase of this project. It is also symbolic as this innovative project is laying the foundations for the wider hydrogen economy and the path towards a Green Industrial Revolution. We look forward to continue working with our partners to deliver a truly revolutionary step in the path to net zero carbon. 

Going forward, project partners Gemserv, Equans, H2Site, Tyseley Energy Park, Yara and the University of Birmingham estimate that over 97,000 jobs and £16bn GVA could be delivered in the UK through early investment in cracking technologies that enable the use of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. The consortium is actively pursuing opportunities for investment in order to roll out further sites in the UK. 

Professor Martin Freer, Director of the University of Birmingham’s Energy Institute said: “It has been a pleasure to celebrate this construction milestone today and we look forward to completing the commission of this world-leading facility later this year.”