Capturing and storing CO₂

The CO₂ emitted in large quantities by factories can be concentrated, purified and then durably stored underground. This technique is a way of avoiding its massive release into the atmosphere.

Did you know?

Between now and 2030, the consumption of carbon is expected to increase by more than 50%.
Carbon combustion produces almost twice the amount of CO₂ that natural gas does, and 20% more than oil.
A coal-burning power plant of average size (500 MW) emits around 4 million tons of CO₂ a year (a car emits around 1.8 t/year on average).

The CO₂ produced in concentrated industrial emissions (power plants, cement factories, steel mills, etc.) can be captured and stored in deep layers underground, reproducing what nature has been doing for millions of years in its natural deposits of CO₂.

The air combustion of fossil fuel sources generates smoke that contains CO₂ diluted in a large quantity of nitrogen. Three technologies exist for removing this nitrogen. It can be removed prior to combustion by burning the fuel with oxygen. This is called oxycombustion. Nitrogen can be removed from the smoke released during combustion, which is known as post-combustion. Finally, it can be transformed into hydrogen (the combustion of which only generates water) and CO₂ that can be recovered: this is called pre-combustion.

This concentrated CO₂ is then purified and transported to the underground storage area.

Air Liquide has vast experience in oxycombustion, in particular for chemicals and the production of glass or steel. Today, it has a portfolio with more than 800 patents. To concentrate CO₂, the Group supplies oxygen as well as specially-designed oxycombustion burners. Air Liquide also masters CO₂ purification, compression and transportation technologies.

Air Liquide is taking part in a number of pilot-scale demo projects. In Europe, Air Liquide is a partner on the Lacq project (France), supplying the specially-designed combustion burners as well as 240 tons of oxygen per day. In North America, Air Liquide is a partner of the Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group in the operation of a 30 MW unit that uses oxy combustion. And in Australia, Air Liquide supplies Callide Oxyfuel Services with an air separation unit and a CO₂ cryogenic purification unit.