Finnish technology group Wartsila says it has completed development of the world’s first floating cracker that turns ammonia into hydrogen.
The company teamed up with Norwegian floating storage and regasification vessel owner Hoegh Evi on the project in 2023.
The partners said the breakthrough technology enables floating import terminals to produce hydrogen at an industrial scale from transported ammonia.
This marks a major step in the energy transition, they believe.
The plant’s modular design allows integration into FSRUs and dedicated floating hydrogen terminals.
Production capacity is 210,000 tonnes per year, while ammonia storage can range from 10,000 cbm to 120,000 cbm.
Erik Nyheim, CEO of Hoegh Evi, said the cracker is a “game-changer”.
“Our floating terminals and cracking technology can unlock the full potential of global value chains for green hydrogen, providing European industry with a reliable supply of clean energy within this decade,” he added.
Kjell Ove Ulstein, sales and marketing director at Wartsila Gas Solutions, said the technology addresses the challenges of hydrogen storage and transportation, but it also paves the way for a more resilient and flexible energy infrastructure.
The cracker was constructed at Sustainable Energy’s Norwegian Catapult Center in Stord, Norway.
According to the European Union’s REPower strategy, Europe plans to import 10m tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year by 2030.
“As the development of the hydrogen grid progresses, floating infrastructure with ammonia cracking technology can unlock large-scale imports, supplying hard-to-abate industries with a stable baseload energy source and balance within the energy system,” the companies said.
Marine technology giant Wartsila also announced net profit of €123m ($140m) for the first quarter, against €86m in the same period of 2024.
Revenue grew to €1.56bn from €1.32bn.
CEO Hakan Agnevall said the growth rate for ship capacity demand has moderated from the 15-year high seen in 2024.
“While the market remains positive overall, uncertainty in global trade has led to mixed sentiments across various vessel segments.
“Investments in new ships during the quarter were below the levels seen in the same period last year,” he added.
Wartsila noted that its key segments — cruise, ferry and offshore — performed better than the general market.
“There was also a healthy pickup in alternative fuels, which accounted for 65% of the capacity of contracted vessels in the first quarter,” the CEO said.
