World premiere: Air Liquide inaugurates its CO₂ cold capture system, Cryocap™

France - Air Liquide inaugurated Cryocap™, a unique industrial installation that enables the capture of CO2 released during hydrogen production via a cryogenic process. Connected to Air Liquide’s largest hydrogen production unit in France, located in Port-Jérôme, Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon (Normandy), Cryocap™ represents an investment of around 30 million euros that was decided by the Group in 2012, and which received an additional public financial support1 of close to 9 million euros.

Developed jointly by Air Liquide R&D and Engineering & Construction teams, Cryocap™ is being rolled out for the first time in Port-Jérôme, on the SMR (Steam Methane Reformer2) of Air Liquide which produces hydrogen for the neighboring refinery, Esso Raffinage SAF (ExxonMobil group). Hydrogen is used to remove the sulfur content of the automotive fuels the refinery produces, in order to bring them into compliance with environmental standards in the transportation sector.

Cryocap™ is the first CO2 capture technology using a cryogenic process3. Cryocap™ enables the capture of CO2 emissions resulting from the production of hydrogen by natural gas reforming, while improving efficiency, leading to an increased hydrogen production. After being purified, the captured CO2 can be used to meet a variety of industrial needs for carbonic gas supply (carbonation of sparkling beverages, food preservation and freezing, etc.). The Cryocap™ unit has an annual capture capacity of 100 000 tonnes of CO2 at this site.

This innovation is part of Air Liquide’s broader Blue Hydrogen* approach, whose goal is the gradual decarbonization of the Group’s production of hydrogen dedicated to energy applications, opening the way for 100% clean mobility.

François Darchis, member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee supervising Innovation, commented: “We take particular pride in rolling out for the first time in France Cryocap™, a technology which illustrates Air Liquide’s ability to innovate for environmental preservation. Cryocap™ contributes to decarbonized hydrogen mobility for the hydrogen-powered electric vehicles on the market.”