Cracked ammonia: fuel gas for brick production in Germany
By on July 23, 2025
Ammonigy, Juwö Poroton lead pilot-sized demonstration
Click to learn more. The 20kW pilot kiln developed for the cracked ammonia fuel test, producing bricks virtually “indistinguishable” from those fired with gas fuel. Source: Ammonigy.
Cracking tech provider Ammonigy, leading German brick manufacturer Juwö Poroton, the Fraunhofer IMM, Fraunhofer ITWM, and industrial burner manufacturer Industrie-Brenner-Systeme announced the successful development and demonstration of a pilot brick kiln that runs on cracked ammonia fuel gas (approx. 90% hydrogen, 10% residual ammonia).
The 20kW system operated at 1000°C, firing five small batches of bricks (7-8 in each), which passed Juwö’s in-house acceptance tests. The cracked ammonia-fired bricks were virtually “indistinguishable from bricks fired with natural gas”, albeit with a slight color change due to different burner operating conditions. This difference in operating conditions (an air-fuel equivalence ratio much lower than that when using gas fuel), was necessary to comply with legal limits for nitric oxide (NO) emissions.
Ammonia can be used as a fuel for brick production and represents an alternative solution, especially for decentralized consumers without connection to the hydrogen core grid. However, the project also shows that overall economic efficiency ultimately decides. The price of the energy source used is the most important factor. Substituting natural gas in industry is a marathon, and Germany needs a clear strategy, concrete projects, and rapid implementation. Otherwise, neither the required quantities nor the target prices for green hydrogen or its derivatives will be achieved.
Stefan Jungk, owner of Juwö Poroton and project co-ordinator, in “Green cracked gas as fuel gas for brick production – Decarbonization through ammonia as fuel” (Zi Brick and Tile Industry International, July 2025)
The three-year demonstration project was funded by the European Union as part of the “Next Generation EU” program and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.