Carbon capture and sequestration: all you need to know in 8 questions

CCS stands for “carbon capture and sequestration”. It is a technical and logistical solution notably for industries with high CO₂ emissions. It encompasses several stages, from carbon capture and transport to carbon sequestration.

CCS is a process that includes several different stages:

• the CO₂ contained in flue gas or process gas is captured and then purified during the production process of an industrial plant;
• it is processed in preparation for transport: it is either liquefied, if it is going to be transported by ship, or compressed, if it is going to be transported by pipeline;
• the CO₂ can then be transported before it is permanently sequestered in an underground storage site, otherwise known as an on-shore or off-shore carbon sink;
• CO₂ can also be recovered and used as a raw material by various sectors, including the food industry (soft drink carbonation, deep-freezing, greenhouse cultivation, etc.), electronics and the pharmaceutical industry.

Air Liquide offers a comprehensive solution, from carbon capture ー notably using cryogenics with its innovative and proprietary Cryocap^TM technology ー, to transport at the sequestration well location, including liquefaction, and temporary storage. To develop a CCS value chain, the Group shares its expertise in CO₂ and its technologies with other major economic players with expertise in maritime transport and geological storage.

It should be noted that there are other methods of capturing CO₂ emissions, such as DAC (Direct Air Capture) which captures CO₂ directly from ambient air, independently of industrial emission sources. However, the more a source is rich in CO₂, the easier it is to capture it. Yet, in air, CO₂ is extremely diluted, which requires a very energy-intensive capture process. In comparison, BECCS (Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage) combines the use of biomass as an energy source to produce electricity and heat with the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. The emissions linked to bioenergy units being concentrated, they are way more judicious to decarbonize than ambient air.

CCS is an existing solution that can be implemented quickly to limit CO₂ emissions and make the transition to a low-carbon industry a success. It is particularly effective in decarbonizing the so-called “hard-to-abate” sectors that emit the most CO₂ and have no alternatives¹ (with no possibility of electrification, for example), such as the cement, steel and chemical industries.

CCS is a vital solution in the fight against climate change, as confirmed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in its reports. The International Energy Agency estimates that this technology could represent 15% of the efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions worldwide. It must therefore be used in addition to other existing solutions that will ensure the success of the energy transition: reduced consumption, energy efficiency, the use of renewable and low-carbon energy, electrification, etc.

Driven by its capacity for innovation, Air Liquide has developed technological solutions for fighting climate change. In particular, the Group has developed cryogenic-based CO₂ capture technology since 2006; its Cryocap^TM solution has been successfully used in Port-Jérôme in Normandy since 2015. The Group firmly believes that this is the right solution to help with industry’s decarbonization and uses it to decarbonize its existing steam-reforming hydrogen production units.

Air Liquide is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. As such, the Group aims to reduce its CO₂ emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 33% by 2035. CCS is one of the solutions used by the Group to reduce its carbon footprint, alongside other solutions including the increased use of renewable and low-carbon energy.

Air Liquide is committed to decarbonizing its activities while working with its customers to reduce their carbon footprint. Air Liquide is working with other companies on several CCS projects using the Group’s Cryocap^TM technology in key industrial basins in the north of France and Benelux. These include Porthos in the Port of Rotterdam, which is currently under construction and should come into operation in 2026, Kairos@C in Belgium and K6 in the Dunkirk industrial basin. Air Liquide is also developing CCS projects in North America and Asia.

To achieve these objectives and to address the technical, regulatory and economic challenges of this solution, the Group believes that an ecosystem approach must be adopted to ensure the successful development of CCS projects all over the world. Bringing together the sector’s players is therefore a priority for Air Liquide. This will make it possible to develop relevant solutions and to promote large-scale CCS programs in the most strategic industrial basins.

Cryocap^TM is a solution developed by Air Liquide for the CCS process. It enables the capture of production sites’ CO₂ emissions using advanced cryogenic technologies while offering different advantages: 

• leveraging cryogenics —one of the Group’s major areas of expertise— this solution is both reliable and scalable;  
• as an electrified system that outperforms amine solutions, which require large amounts of steam; 
• additionally, Cryocap^TM does not use hazardous chemicals.

Installed in 2015 at the Group’s Port-Jérôme hydrogen production plant in Normandy (France), this solution can efficiently capture up to 98% of the CO₂ emissions. 

The Cryocap^TM range can be configured in several different ways to adapt to different emission sources. Thanks to its technology and its extensive experience in industrial gases, Air Liquide is a major player in the CCS market.

No single technology is a miracle solution, but CCS is an essential technology for limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C by 2100. Reports by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the IEA (International Energy Agency) support this view. To accompany the energy transition and make carbon neutrality possible, CCS is a relevant technology that can be used right now to capture large volumes of CO₂ emitted by industry.

Today, interest in CCS is growing rapidly, infrastructure is being developed and regulations about sequestration are changing to provide a clearer framework.

But CCS is still largely unknown on a broader level and the public must be reassured about its advantages and environmental impact. The potential risks inherent to this technology are understood and well managed. An educational approach is needed to explain its importance in accelerating the energy transition.

Lastly, a CCS project often involves additional costs for the industrial company looking to decarbonize its production. Consequently, subsidies and increased carbon taxes are vital to the development of CCS projects. But the proliferation of CCS projects will make it possible to achieve economies of scale, in particular in major industrial basins, and thus to help reduce the gap between the cost of CCS and that of the carbon tax.

CCS is an efficient solution that can be used today to capture large volumes of CO₂ emitted by industry.  The IPCC’s reports state that CCS has a crucial role to play in limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C, but its success will depend on its effective integration with other solutions, political engagement and the overcoming of technical and economic challenges.

Air Liquide is already developing CCS projects in Europe in key industrial basins where the Group is well established. For example, Porthos in Rotterdam is currently under construction and should come into operation in 2026. Major projects are also being planned in North America and Asia. Geological storage opportunities around the world² are significant and do not present an issue.

Once it has been purified, some of the captured CO₂ can be sold to customers for use in their industrial processes (deep-freezing, sparkling water or soda production, water treatment, greenhouse cultivation, etc.). This is known as CO₂ recovery. This gas has physical and chemical properties that meet the needs of many industrial sectors. However, industrial needs are much lower than the large quantities of carbon dioxide emitted worldwide. In view of the volumes involved, CO₂ recovery is therefore a modest tool and geological carbon sequestration is an effective solution that can be implemented quickly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.