Cryocap™: a world technological premiere
Developed by Air Liquide’s Research & Development and Engineering & Construction teams, Cryocap™ is an innovative technology to capture CO2 through a cryogenic process (low temperatures are used to separate the gases). Cryocap™ can be adapted to a variety of applications: steel plants (Cryocap™ Steel), thermal power plants (Cryocap™ Oxy) and hydrogen production units (Cryocap™ H2).
A WORLD PREMIERE
Cryocap™ is a globally unique technological innovation. In November 2015, the Group conducted the first industrial deployment of Cryocap™ H2 in Port-Jérôme (Normandy), at Air Liquide’s largest French hydrogen production unit by natural gas reforming. The Port-Jérôme facility allows the capture of 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for subsequent valorisation.
Cryocap™ has the capacity to capture up to 90% of the CO2 emissions generated by a hydrogen production unit, while improving the efficiency by producing larger quantities of hydrogen. Once purified, the CO2 recovered can be supplied to local customers for a wide range of industrial applications: drink carbonation, food preservation and freezing, etc. By enabling clean hydrogen to be produced without emitting CO2, Cryocap™ is fully consistent with Air Liquide’s Blue Hydrogen approach, which aims to gradually decarbonize hydrogen production for energy applications (by at least 50% by 2020).
1. Natural gas is supplied.
2. The hydrogen produced is injected to the refinery to desulfurize fuels.
3. CO2 emissions during hydrogen production are captured through liquefaction
4. Liquefied CO2 goes through purifiers.
5. CO2 storage is delivered to local customers.