Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde Join Forces for a Key Technology in the Global Hydrogen Economy

Joint Press Release
May 27, 2025

thyssenkrupp Uhde and Uniper are entering into a strategic partnership to industrialize a key technology for the global hydrogen trade: the large-scale ammonia cracker. In such a cracker, ammonia is catalytically decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen at high temperatures, and the hydrogen is subsequently purified. The first step of the partnership involves building a demonstration plant with a capacity of 28 tons of ammonia per day at Uniper’s Gelsenkirchen-Scholven site. This facility will be one of the first of its kind worldwide and is intended to serve as a basis for the planned hydrogen import terminal in Wilhelmshaven, where the technology will be scaled up for industrial use.

The aim of the collaboration is to convert imported ammonia into hydrogen on an industrial scale and make it available to a wide range of sectors, including energy, steel, and chemicals. The partnership marks an important step in enhancing energy security and promoting the sustainable transformation of energy-intensive industries. Using ammonia as a carrier and storage medium makes it possible to transport green or low-carbon hydrogen from production sites worldwide in large quantities at low cost — a prerequisite for the successful scale-up of the hydrogen economy.

Holger Kreetz, COO of Uniper: “Uniper is actively committed to establishing hydrogen as a key component of the future energy mix, combining security and sustainability. Our goal is to strengthen the resilience of the economy. To meet Germany’s future hydrogen demand, we will depend on imports. The partnership between Uniper and thyssenkrupp Uhde is therefore a significant milestone for ramping up hydrogen and decarbonizing industry. With the ammonia cracker in Scholven, we are creating the conditions to trade hydrogen internationally and make it usable for many sectors.”

Nadja Håkansson, CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde: “Uniper’s position as a leading player in energy markets and experienced plant operator, combined with our global leadership in ammonia technology and large-scale plant engineering, provides a strong foundation for joint success. These competencies ensure that the cracking plant will be optimized not only for performance and efficiency but also for safety, long-term reliability, and lifecycle costs. Our integrated approach guarantees that the plant will deliver peak performance reliably.”

The project is supported by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with funding for innovative components of the demonstration plant in Scholven. The facility is intended to generate insights for the later construction of a commercial large-scale plant. Both companies are also contributing significant internal funding.

Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia: “Hydrogen is one of the key technologies for the future viability of our industry in North Rhine-Westphalia. Like no other federal state, we rely on energy and raw materials for our economy and prosperity. With ammonia cracking technology, we gain access to green energy from many regions around the world. This strengthens the resilience of our industrial base and demonstrates how sustainability and energy security can go hand in hand.”

Ammonia cracking technology is considered the missing link for a functioning global hydrogen infrastructure. Because ammonia has a much higher volumetric energy density and is easier to transport than pure hydrogen, it is ideally suited as a carrier medium. Ammonia has been traded and shipped worldwide in large volumes for decades as a base material for fertilizers. If low-carbon hydrogen is converted into ammonia directly at the production site, this infrastructure can be used immediately. Cracking enables the hydrogen to be reconverted at the destination and used in a climate-friendly way.

Following successful lab-scale development and testing, the construction and operation of the “demo cracker” mark important steps toward industrial-scale implementation. Operating the facility will generate the data needed to further optimize the technology and scale it for commercial deployment.

The cracker will be built on Uniper’s power plant site in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven, which is being transformed for future-proof projects. All necessary permits for the construction and operation of the demo cracker have been granted. Construction has begun, and commissioning is planned for late 2026.

Press contacts:
thyssenkrupp Uhde
Christian Dill, Press Spokesperson
T +49 231 547 3334
christian.dill@thyssenkrupp.com

Uniper SE
Svenja Kaltheuner, Press Spokesperson
T +49 1515 1500408
svenja.kaltheuner@uniper.energy