Syzygy Plasmonics (Houston) and Lotte Chemical (Seoul, South Korea) have commissioned and completed performance testing of the world’s largest all-electric ammonia cracking system in Ulsan, South Korea with logistical support from Sumitomo Corp. of Americas (SCOA) and Sumitomo Corp. Korea. This marks the second installation of Syzygy’s Rigel reactor cell, the other being located at the company’s demonstration facility in Houston, Texas. Building on positive results with over 2,500 hours of testing in Houston, the results in Ulsan prove the viability of using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and set the stage for energy importing regions like Korea to engage in clean ammonia imports.
While many agree that low-carbon hydrogen will play a major role in reducing global emissions, transporting it to energy importing countries is difficult and costly because it must be compressed, liquified, and transported at -423°F(-253°C). Combining nitrogen with low-carbon hydrogen from regions with ready access to renewable electricity yields low-carbon ammonia, which is easier to store and transport. When it arrives on location, the ammonia can be cracked with Syzygy’s Ammonia e-Cracking™ systems to provide the low-carbon hydrogen energy importers need. Successful testing of this technology sets the stage for opening the hydrogen economy.
Syzygy’s ammonia-cracking reactor cell met performance levels at a Lotte Chemical site in Ulsan, South Korea (Source: Syzygy Plasmonics)
“Lotte and Syzygy made history with this project,” said Dr. Suman Khatiwada, Co-founder and CTO at Syzygy. “This is the breakthrough that Korea, Japan, and Eastern Europe have been waiting for. They now have an efficient, proven way to crack imported ammonia for hydrogen. We are incredibly grateful to Lotte and Sumitomo Corporation Group for having the vision and showing the leadership to advance technologies like ours that hold the key to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors. And we are proud of the Syzygy team. Their talent, commitment, and drive are unmatched. The next step is small commercial plant deployment.”
With shipping and logistical support from Sumitomo Corporation Group, Lotte installed a Rigel cell at its facility in Ulsan, completed plant construction in early November, and completed field testing in December 2024. Syzygy provided onsite and remote support for plant commissioning through the duration of the test. Following KOSHA certification and installation, the Rigel cell immediately hit desired performance levels and operated flawlessly throughout all phases of the trial. Steady-state operation eclipsed previous performance, and by manipulating flowrate and light intensity during separate testing phases, the cell produced all-time best achievements of 11 kWh/kg, 81 percent energy efficiency, 99 percent conversion, and 290 kg/d of hydrogen. Data from this trial gives Syzygy a clear pathway to achieve 8 kWh/kg of hydrogen at the cell level in future Rigel cell designs.
“We look forward to working on commercializing this technology in South Korea. Over the coming years we plan to work with Syzygy to identify a good application for building a small commercial plant together, which will be a big step towards meeting South Korea’s growing hydrogen needs,” said Hans Shin the Project Manager at Lotte Chemical.