Uniper and Thyssenkrupp Uhde are building a scalable hydrogen import infrastructure for Europe. Up to six commercial cracking plants will convert 7,200 tonnes of ammonia daily into pure hydrogen. The first facility will be located in Wilhelmshaven.
Energy company Uniper and plant engineering specialist Thyssenkrupp Uhde have signed a technology licensing agreement. The deal covers up to six commercial ammonia cracking facilities and includes engineering services, core equipment, and catalysts alongside the licenses. The technology splits imported ammonia into its constituent elements: hydrogen and nitrogen.
Wilhelmshaven to Host First Commercial Plant
The inaugural commercial cracking facility is planned for Uniper's future hydrogen import terminal in Wilhelmshaven. Uniper is currently conducting a pre-FEED study to define project scope, assess technical and economic feasibility, and mitigate risks. The detailed front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase is scheduled to commence in late 2026.
"Domestic hydrogen production alone won't be sufficient to meet future demand – we'll depend on importing hydrogen derivatives," explains Holger Kreetz, COO of Uniper. Nadja Håkansson, COO of Thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies and CEO of Thyssenkrupp Uhde, emphasizes the importance of cross-industry collaboration in establishing a global hydrogen market.
Gelsenkirchen Demo Plant Paves the Way
Transporting pure hydrogen presents significant technical and economic hurdles. Ammonia, by contrast, offers a practical solution as a carrier medium: it liquefies relatively easily and can be shipped in large volumes. The cracking technology reconverts the delivered ammonia into pure hydrogen on-site. Without efficient cracking plants, large-scale hydrogen imports would remain unfeasible. This project represents a crucial step toward decarbonizing European industry and building resilient energy infrastructure.
In spring 2025, Uniper and Thyssenkrupp Uhde announced a demonstration plant at Uniper's power station in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven. With a daily capacity of 28 tonnes, the pilot facility will serve as a proving ground for commercial-scale deployment. The project receives funding from North Rhine-Westphalia's Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy.
