Clean hydrogen

You too could be part of this improvement, either by using technologies for capturing and upgrading carbon emitted during the process of producing hydrogen from natural gas, by using renewable energies during water electrolysis, or through biogas reforming. Thanks to its Blue Hydrogen commitment to produce at least 50% of the hydrogen dedicated to energy applications through carbon-free processes by 2020, Air Liquide already has some key solutions in its portfolio.

Carbon capture

Today, the majority of hydrogen is produced from natural gas through the steam methane reforming (SMR) process. Air Liquide has developed an innovative cold capture system (Cryocap™) that captures the CO₂ released during this hydrogen production through a cryogenic process. A world first in this field, this technology could also improve efficiency, leading to increased hydrogen production. After purification, the captured CO₂ can be used to meet a variety of industrial needs for carbonic gas (carbonation of sparkling beverages, food preservation, freezing, etc.).

The first Cryocap™ unit - installed in Port Jérôme, France, where hydrogen is produced for the neighbouring refinery - has an annual capture capacity of 100,000 tonnes of CO₂.

With CO2 capture, H2 production increased by up to 20%
From 60 to 90% of the released CO2 is captured

Water electrolysis

Clean hydrogen can also be produced through water electrolysis. Air Liquide is demonstrating the advantages of this technology by leading a major project in Europe, HyBalance.This project was developed in Denmark and is supported by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the Danish ForskEL program. This is a major demonstration of the complete value chain, from the storage of hydrogen produced through renewable sources (wind turbines) to its distribution for applications in clean transportation and the industrial sector. This process also helps balance the grid. The hydrogen will be used for clean transportation, including the five existing hydrogen charging stations operated by Air Liquide in Denmark, which supply more than 60 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles in circulation.

In the U.S., Air Liquide will utilize an innovative pathway for hydrogen sourcing at the Braintree, Massachusetts hydrogen fueling station using a water electrolysis system: Proton Onsite Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis, to generate onsite produced hydrogen

Biogas reforming

Air Liquide’s Blue Hydrogen initiative, which aims to gradually make hydrogen production carbon neutral, also includes hydrogen produced from biomethane. Thanks to the process of purification, biomethane is produced from biogas, composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas is a renewable energy produced during the anaerobic digestion of biomass or from sanitary landfills. This biomethane can be used to produce bio-hydrogen, as demonstrated recently with the opening of a public hydrogen station in Offenbach am Main in Germany in partnership with Hyundai.