Ammonia as Hydrogen Carrier Deserves Serious Attention

Green ammonia sidesteps the most intractable problem in hydrogen logistics — the cost of cryogenic liquefaction or high-pressure compression for transport. Ammonia is liquid at -33°C (vs. -253°C for LH2), uses existing tanker and port infrastructure, and can be cracked back to hydrogen at destination or used directly as a fuel in marine engines and power turbines. Japan's government-backed ammonia co-firing program (20% ammonia blending in coal plants by 2030) and the MAN Energy Solutions ammonia engine program are real commercial demand signals, not research projects. The risk is ammonia cracking efficiency — currently 70–75% round-trip — which makes it uncompetitive against direct electrification in most use cases. The right application set is maritime fuel and long-haul hydrogen export, not domestic industrial hydrogen supply.