Air Liquide has secured a €110m ($116m) grant from the European Innovation Fund to support its ENHANCE project, an initiative aimed at producing and distributing low-carbon and renewable hydrogen from ammonia in the port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium. The project involves plans to build a large-scale ammonia cracking plant and a hydrogen liquefier, aiming to produce hydrogen on an industrial scale using ammonia as a feedstock.
The ENHANCE project will retrofit an existing hydrogen production unit in Antwerp-Bruges to use renewable ammonia instead of natural gas, significantly reducing carbon emissions. By leveraging ammonia as a feedstock, the facility is expected to cut carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by more than 300,000 tonnes annually.
The hydrogen produced will cater to hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as refineries, chemicals, heavy-duty road transport, maritime shipping and aviation.
“This project would capitalise on the knowledge and expertise acquired from the Group’s ammonia cracking pilot plant located in the port of Antwerp,” Air Liquide stated.
Armelle Levieux, a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee overseeing Innovation, welcomed the EU’s financial support. She spoke on the project’s alignment with the company’s sustainability goals and its contribution to Europe’s carbon neutrality ambitions.
“The combination of ammonia cracking and hydrogen liquefaction technologies offers an additional solution to support the growth of the global hydrogen market. We welcome the support from the European Commission for our ENHANCE project, which contributes to the emergence of a viable infrastructure for the supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in Europe,” said Levieux.
“In line with our ADVANCE strategic plan, this project supports Air Liquide’s commitment to the energy transition, with low-carbon hydrogen playing a key role for the decarbonisation of the industry and mobility. ENHANCE supports European ambitions towards carbon neutrality.”
Ammonia, a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen, can be produced with a low-carbon footprint in regions rich in renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. It benefits from an established global infrastructure for production, transport, and large-scale industrial use, making it a practical solution for hydrogen distribution.
Europe’s push for renewable hydrogen
Europe is actively advancing its renewable hydrogen infrastructure to support decarbonisation and energy security. Major projects include the HyNet North West initiative in the UK, which aims to produce 1 GW of low-carbon hydrogen annually by 2025. In Germany, the AquaVentus project is working to generate 10 GW of offshore wind-powered hydrogen by 2035, supporting sectors like shipping and heavy industry. Spain is home to Iberdrola’s Puertollano green hydrogen plant, expected to produce 3,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually at a cost of €150m ($158m).
The EU has also launched the €5.4bn ($5.7bn) Hydrogen Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), involving over 40 initiatives to scale up hydrogen production and infrastructure. Collectively, these efforts are anticipated to produce tens of millions of tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually by 2030, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing Europe’s competitiveness in the global green energy market.