Green hydrogen technology company Nel Hydrogen has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global chemicals and refining industry catalysts, technology, and services supplier Haldor Topsoe.

The companies will combine their global experience and technologies to afford businesses green ammonia and methanol solutions.

Green ammonia and green methanol – compounds that consist predominantly of hydrogen – are widely regarded as important carbon-free fuels and energy carriers for the growth of the global green economy.

With both companies committed to green and renewable energy, Haldor Topsoe plans to supply engineering proprietary hardware, catalyst and technical services for its ammonia and methanol technologies.

Nel Hydrogen will share its extensive experience of alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology and proprietary hardware, including system engineering for hydrogen production.

Nel Hydrogen business development manager Matthew Weaver tells Engineering News that Nel Hydrogen’s PEM electrolysers present the opportunity to replace brown and blue hydrogen, which is a result of hydrocarbon-rich feedstock.

Haldor Topsoe offers ammonia producers the opportunity to evolve their existing ammonia plants into hybrid plants using patented solutions where implementation of water electrolysis can produce up to 10% green ammonia, with minimal changes to the existing plant.

As Nel Hydrogen has the largest installed base of electrolysers globally – and is the only electrolyser manufacturer with commercially mature offerings at scale of alkaline and PEM electrolysers – the two companies make for a fitting alliance.

“This collaboration speaks directly to our customers’ needs, as we see massive interest from the market requesting basic engineering, licence, and process guarantee in one package,” says Haldor Topsoe COO Amy Hebert.

Nel Hydrogen believes that renewable hydrogen is the currency of the future energy economy and that the MoU will increase the use of hydrogen by businesses and individuals.

“This collaboration is a step forward for both companies, which are forthcoming about the essential need for new energy carriers to replace oil and gas. This is a market that is expected to grow significantly in years to come and we look forward to working with Haldor Topsoe to deliver complete solutions to customers, based on demonstrated technologies available today,” says Nel Hydrogen Norway CEO Jon AndréLøkk.

The MoU is a non-exclusive agreement that will serve as a basis for further developments of a previous collaboration agreement.