H2RetakeTM delivers 96 % efficient ammonia cracking for clean, high-purity hydrogen production. It offers 96 % energy efficiency, produces hydrogen with 99.999 % purity, and provides flexible single-line capacity ranging from 100 to 3400 MTPD ammonia.
H2RetakeTM: Ammonia Cracking Solution
H2RetakeTM is Topsoe's industrially validated and exceptionally energy-efficient solution for ammonia cracking. This technology enables energy producers worldwide to efficiently convert ammonia into high-purity hydrogen while ensuring the lowest levelized cost.
With H2RetakeTM, producers can profit from Topsoe's extensive industrial expertise, honed over decades in large-scale ammonia cracking applications.
Release the Energy Potential in Ammonia through a Solution That is Efficient, Flexible, and Proven
Meet 96 % Energy Efficiency
Seeking unparalleled conversion efficiency, H2RetakeTM distinguishes itself from other ammonia cracking technologies with its market-leading energy efficiency of 96 %.
The H2RetakeTM process meticulously uses energy input within its side-fired ammonia cracker. This energy is effectively channeled to facilitate the decomposition reaction and to efficiently preheat and evaporate the raw feed, ensuring minimal waste.
This remarkable efficiency is a direct outcome of a streamlined ammonia cracking design, optimized heat and off-stream integration, and the careful selection of a high-performance catalyst.
H2RetakeTM Energy Input and Output. Image Credit: Topsoe A/S
The primary financial burden in producing hydrogen from ammonia cracking is the cost associated with the ammonia feed. H2RetakeTM's superior energy and hydrogen efficiency are specifically designed to guarantee the most advantageous economic model for any ammonia cracking facility.
Moreover, the sophisticated heat integration within H2RetakeTM has successfully eliminated the requirement for any dedicated cooling or steam generation infrastructure. This innovation significantly reduces the overall capital expenditure required to build the plant.
A Flexible and Scalable Solution
Ammonia cracking offers a versatile range of applications. It can be established centrally and scaled from large to mega-scale, with the resulting hydrogen then transported to its end-use location via a comprehensive hydrogen grid, like the one currently planned in Europe.
It can also be deployed in a decentralized, large-scale fashion, situated near major hydrogen consumers, potentially using local hydrogen grids.
Source: Topsoe A/S
The H2Retake™ system delivers a highly adaptable solution in terms of its operational scale and deployment strategy, offering companies different options within ammonia cracking.
This means that, from more minor, decentralized ammonia crackers designed for specific off-take points to expansive, centralized units feeding major hydrogen grids, the ammonia cracking infrastructure can be tailored precisely to fulfill operational demands.
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Proven Large-Scale Ammonia Cracking
Topsoe offers the market's only industrially validated ammonia cracking technology, readily available and meticulously engineered to achieve outstanding performance in demanding ammonia cracking environments.
Largest Reference Plant: Arroyito, Argentina
The most substantial facility, situated in Arroyito, Argentina, boasts an impressive operational capacity of up to 2 × 2,400 MTPD across two parallel production lines, serving as a powerful demonstration of the well-established technology.
The integration of H2Retake™'s foundational components, advanced catalyst technology, and comprehensive supporting solutions give Topsoe a unique standing in the market.
Delve into the H2Retake™ Process
The foundational design of H2Retake™ is based on well-established side-fired cracking technology. Although its overall configuration shares similarities with conventional steam methane reformers, H2Retake's primary differentiators lie in the specific equipment materials chosen, which are engineered to endure the aggressive nitridation conditions present in the ammonia cracker, and, critically, its unique catalyst.
H2Retake enhances the overall performance of ammonia cracking by achieving high conversion efficiencies, optimizing energy usage, selecting strategic catalysts, integrating processes seamlessly, and incorporating advanced technologies. These elements collectively ensure the most streamlined path toward a cost-efficient, large-scale provision of clean hydrogen.
Beyond the basics of the H2Retake process. Image Credit: Topsoe A/S
Delve Deeper into the Process...
The ammonia feed is pressurized and subsequently vaporized using process waste heat. At this elevated pressure, ammonia is vaporized through the highly efficient heat integration inherent in the process design.
The ammonia decomposition initiates in the pre-converter section, where additional process waste heat is integrated into the product stream. This integration significantly lowers the fuel consumption of the fired cracker while maximizing energy recovery from the flue gases produced during firing.
The completion of ammonia decomposition occurs in the core of the process, specifically within the side-fired cracker, which is succeeded by separation and final purification stages to produce hydrogen of the desired purity.
Sophisticated heat, fuel, and off-gas recovery and integration systems support the entire operation. In the flue gas section of the fired cracker, established SCR solutions guarantee emissions that comply with project specifications.
Cracking on with a Proven Catalyst
With a comprehensive history in the development and supply of industrially validated ammonia cracking catalysts, the product line demonstrates proven operational reliability and superior performance compared to competing solutions in actual industrial applications.
For the H2Retake™ process, Topsoe specifically endorses base metal catalysts, featuring the proprietary Topsoe iron-cobalt catalyst (DNK-2R), which is recognized for its unsurpassed performance and exceptional stability.
The strategic expansion of the ammonia cracking catalyst portfolio to include tailored nickel-based catalysts (DNK-20 and DNK-30) enables enhanced techno-economic optimization for the H2RetakeTM solution.
The advanced catalytic technology, developed through the meticulous selection of structural and electronic promoters, effectively mitigates the adverse effects of water presence, ensuring long-term stable and highly efficient ammonia decomposition.
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