AFC Energy PLC (LON:AFC) has established proof of concept for an ammonia-based off-grid fuel cell system following an 18-month trial.
Next steps will be to conclude work on the business case and engineering of an integrated, scalable ammonia fuelled clean power generator, said the AIM-listed group.
The system, AP2, will utilise existing ammonia cracking technology alongside AFC 's proprietary fuel cell system.
There was little difference in performance between hydrogen sourced from industrial plants or cracked ammonia, said AFC.
That means it can use "off the shelf" crackers and ammonia that is widely available from the production of fertiliser.
AFC wants to replace off-grid stationary diesel gensets with hydrogen fuel cells and the use of cracked ammonia solves the problem of how to get the gas to remote locations.
The trial was part of the European Union's Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) co-funded ALKAMMONIA project.
Adam Bond, AFC’s chief executive, commented: "The successful integration of the company's fuel cell system into an upstream hydrogen stream sourced from cracked ammonia is not only a unique selling point of the alkaline fuel cell but also is a logical means to the unlocking of the multi-billion dollar off-grid stationary power market.”