Projects for the future [ Return towards  An innovative company  ]

At the core of innovation, Advanced Technologies teams respond to one of Air Liquide’s fundamental values: the development of future technologies. The Group offers a wide variety of expertise and solutions in several advanced fields, from cryogenics and space to environmental protection and new energies.

In 2008, the Group provided the cooling system necessary for the longest and most powerful superconductor cable in the world. This cable was connected to the commercial power grid of Holbrook, New York (United States) by the LIPA (Long Island Power Authority) and American Superconductor. This project anticipates the potential advances in energy distribution networks.

In the framework of the PAN-H program (Plan d’Action National sur l’Hydrogène), launched in France by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Air Liquide is leading the EolHY project, which will provide, along with hydrogen production, uninterrupted electricity from renewable energy sources and a fuel cell. Involved in the hydrogen energy field for many years, the Group plans and participates in several demonstration programs. In 2008, an Axane fuel cell powering a Bouygues Telecom relay antenna (Balises PAN-H project) logged a record 10,000 hours of continuous functioning without any intervention.