Hydrogen is a clean alternative to fossil fuels. It can be harvested from many sources including fossil fuels, water, and ammonia. Ammonia is also a potential zero-emission fuel alternative.Â
Hydrogen has immediate advantages. It is compatible with today’s fuel-cell technologies. Ammonia is not. Compressed liquid hydrogen can be burned in internal combustion engines. Compressed ammonia cannot. Hydrogen can be used instead of coal in the production of steel, aluminum, and concrete. Ammonia at present cannot.
Ammonia has several advantages over hydrogen. It is 1.7 times more energy-dense than hydrogen in a liquid state. It is less inflammable. When transported ammonia is more stable. Liquid hydrogen can easily turn into gas and escape unless stored at very low temperatures and under high pressure. That’s why ammonia is often used as a means to transport and deliver hydrogen as an alternative carbon-free fuel.