FZU Zijin: deploying cracking technology for hydrogen vehicle refueling, onboard propulsion
By on December 01, 2025
China’s largest commercial ammonia-to-hydrogen refueling station comes online
China-based FZU Zijin Hydrogen Power has completed the construction of a 1,000 kg per-day hydrogen refueling station in the Nanhai District of Foshan, Guangdong Province. Liquid ammonia supplied to the station will be fed into the company’s proprietary ammonia cracking technology for on-site hydrogen production. FZU Zijin’s proprietary cracking technology uses low-temperature catalysts, new reactor structures, and novel processes to achieve an ammonia decomposition rate of over 99.5% at less than 480°C.
By producing hydrogen on-site, the system circumvents the need for high-cost and inefficient hydrogen transportation, as well as the use of tube trailers which are used extensively for hydrogen transportation by conventional refueling stations.
According to Zijin’s press release, the company’s technology and process of hydrogen production, storage, transport, and refueling reduces the fuel’s costs by 40 – 50% for end-users relative to conventional methods. The 1000 kg per day production capacity means that the station can meet the operational needs of up to 100 hydrogen-powered vehicles. The station is seen as a blueprint for large-scale deployment of ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion as an energy source in China.
Cracking-based vessel propulsion
Click to learn more. FZU Zijin has demonstrated its cracking technology onboard a coastal vessel. Source: FZU Zijin.
FZU Zijin has also demonstrated its cracking technology on the water. Successful offshore trials were conducted with a vessel powered by an internal combustion engine, fed with cracked ammonia fuel. FZU reports that, compared to traditionally-fueled vessels, the new vessel has 45% lower operating costs, and over 99% reduction in carbon emissions. The new vessel demonstrates significant advantages over pure electric alternatives, with a 30% lower purchase cost and quadruple the cruising range. FZU sees a use for vessels like these in coastal applications, like law enforcement ships, fishing boats, and short-haul freight vessels.