H2SITE 700 kW Ammonia Cracker Cuts Marine Fuel Logistics Risk

For supply chain and logistics operators, this project addresses the bunkering and fuel availability barrier that has slowed fuel-cell shipping. Onboard ammonia cracking could let vessels use ammonia as a hydrogen carrier, reducing dependence on port-side hydrogen infrastructure and creating a more flexible fuel procurement model. The modular, retrofit-friendly design may also reduce integration risk for existing fleets.

According to a company announcement distributed on September 21 and 22, H2SITE has secured €3.4 million (NOK 39.1 million) from Enova to scale its onboard ammonia-to-power technology through a project called HydraNord Power. The award, framed by H2SITE as a major commercialization milestone, moves the company beyond earlier maritime ammonia-to-hydrogen demonstrations and toward a system intended to produce up to one tonne of hydrogen per day and deliver 700 kW of net electrical power to onboard fuel cells. Because the announcement is a press release, the funding amount and technical performance figures are claims by the company rather than independently verified results, and the project's completion, certification and commercial uptake remain to be demonstrated.

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According to a company announcement distributed on September 21 and 22, H2SITE has secured €3.4 million (NOK 39.1 million) from Enova to scale its onboard ammonia-to-power technology through a project called HydraNord Power.

Shipping is under rising pressure from the International Maritime Organization, the EU Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime to cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. Ammonia has gained attention as a zero-carbon marine fuel because it contains no carbon and can be stored as a liquid at temperatures and pressures that are easier to manage than hydrogen, but it is toxic and difficult to use directly in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. H2SITE's membrane reactor integrates ammonia cracking and hydrogen separation in a single process to produce fuel-cell-grade hydrogen while protecting the fuel cells from ammonia contamination. This approach lets ships use ammonia as an energy-dense hydrogen carrier and still run high-efficiency fuel cells, reducing onboard hydrogen storage requirements and opening a path for both newbuild and retrofit applications.

The €3.4 million grant is modest relative to the cost of a commercial vessel, but Enova's role as manager of Norway's Climate and Energy Fund gives the award more weight than the face value alone. Enova support typically signals that a project fits Norway's climate and energy transition priorities and has been screened for feasibility. For H2SITE, the funding validates its membrane reactor approach and funds the next scale point, from smaller units already in operation to a size representative of commercial auxiliary power. The modular architecture is designed so multiple modules can operate in parallel, giving shipyards a standardized building block for future multi-megawatt installations. That could reduce integration risk for shipowners who want to phase in zero-carbon auxiliary power without committing to a single vessel overhaul.