How can ammonia help unlock the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy source? And what does it take to turn a promising scientific concept into a working technology?
These questions are at the heart of a new documentary released by
SINGLE, a European research and innovation project funded under Horizon Europe. Through interviews with researchers, engineers and industry experts, the film takes viewers behind the scenes of an ambitious effort to develop a more efficient way of producing high-purity hydrogen from ammonia.
A new approach to hydrogen production
Hydrogen is expected to play an important role in Europe's transition towards climate neutrality. However, its storage and transportation remain challenging. Ammonia offers a promising alternative: it is easier to transport, benefits from an established global infrastructure and can serve as an effective hydrogen carrier.
SINGLE addresses the challenge of recovering hydrogen from ammonia through an innovative
Proton Ceramic Electrochemical Reactor (PCER) technology, which combines ammonia decomposition, hydrogen separation and electrochemical compression in a single system.
By integrating these functions, the technology has the potential to simplify hydrogen production from ammonia and improve its overall efficiency.
From research to reality
The documentary follows SINGLE's journey from initial laboratory research to the engineering, construction and testing of a
pilot plant.
Along the way, the consortium tackled challenges involving materials, reactor design, thermal management, safety and system integration. Through first-hand accounts, researchers and engineers explain how they worked together to develop electrochemical stacks, integrate them into modules and ultimately build a complete pilot system.
Rather than presenting innovation as a straightforward process, the film offers an
insight into the challenges, achievements and lessons learned throughout the project, highlighting the importance of collaboration between scientific and industrial partners.
As SINGLE approaches its conclusion, the documentary also looks towards the future. The knowledge and experience gained during the project will contribute to further technological development, including through COUPLE, a new EU-funded project building on SINGLE's achievements while exploring new research directions.
Discover SINGLE at European Hydrogen Week 2026
The documentary will be showcased during
European Hydrogen Week 2026 in Brussels, where SINGLE will participate in the EU Projects Pavilion.
Visitors will be able to watch the film, meet project representatives and discover the project's main achievements at the SINGLE exhibition booth
on 27 and 28 November.
Project coordinator
Gautier Papon will also present the final results during a dedicated session entitled “
Final project results: ammonia to high-purity hydrogen”, as part of the Extending the Value Chain programme.
Visitors will also be able to receive a free copy of the
SINGLE Innovation Handbook, available in printed and digital formats, bringing together the project's main results, technological developments and lessons learned.
Watch the documentary at this link
Learn more about SINGLE: www.singleh2.eu