Lloyd’s Register grants AiP for floating ammonia cracker unit

A consortium led by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a floating ammonia cracker unit (FACU).

The FACU concept is designed to thermally decompose ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen onboard vessels, enabling direct hydrogen supply from offshore to onshore. The approach is aimed at supporting the development of a hydrogen supply chain in regions where onshore facilities are difficult to build.

The project partners have completed the conceptual design of the FACU, including the process layout and general arrangement. Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) contributed its ammonia cracking expertise and module design, applying its H2ACT technology to enable a single-train hydrogen production capacity of 1,000 tons per day. Amogy, a US-based ammonia-to-power solutions provider, introduced a new catalyst solution to the project.

According to the consortium, the development of floating cracking technology is expected to support the expansion of hydrogen energy use by facilitating a stable supply of clean fuel and contributing to decarbonization goals.