Reducing hydrogen's carbon footprint: the Cryocap™ H₂ solution

Published on August 12, 2025

2 minutes

How can hydrogen be produced with a reduced carbon footprint? While the production of hydrogen from natural gas generates CO₂ emissions, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is an essential solution for decarbonizing this production process, thanks in particular to our tailored proprietary solution: Cryocap™ H₂.

Air Liquide has developed Cryocap™, a range of CO₂ capture technologies adapted to high emitting industries such as cement, metallurgy or glassmaking. This range notably includes Cryocap™ OXY and Cryocap™ FG, but also Cryocap™ H₂ which specifically targets the decarbonization of hydrogen production. Learn more about the process in video:

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How does it work? 

The Cryocap™ H₂ process stands out for its innovative cryogenic approach and its strategic integration into the production process:

  1. During hydrogen production by methane reforming, natural gas (CH₄) reacts with steam in a high-temperature furnace, producing a syngas that contains high levels of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO).
  2. After a catalytic reaction transforming CO into CO₂, the gas mixture passes through a PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) which isolates the pure hydrogen produced for industrial customers.
  3. This is precisely where the Cryocap™ H2 technology comes into play: it treats the waste gas from the PSA, which is still rich in CO₂ and contains residual hydrogen, and it separates them using a cryogenic process operating at around -50°C.
  4. The captured CO₂ is purified, and then liquefied to facilitate transport and use.
  5. The additional hydrogen recovered is re-injected into the process, increasing overall production efficiency.

This approach makes it possible to capture between 60% and 99% of CO₂ emissions while increasing hydrogen production - a unique dual benefit.

Port-Jérôme: a large-scale first deployment

The first industrial deployment of Cryocap™ H₂ was at the Port-Jérôme site in Normandy, Air Liquide's largest hydrogen production unit in France. The facility, which adjoins a refinery, has been supplying hydrogen for fuel desulfurization since 2005. The Cryocap™ H₂ facility in Port-Jérôme has a capture capacity of 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The CO₂ thus recovered is used for various local industrial applications: agriculture, carbonation of soft drinks, deep-freezing…

While hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition, Cryocap™ H₂ provides a concrete response to reduce the carbon footprint of its production while optimizing existing infrastructures. By capturing a significant proportion of the CO₂ emitted during reforming, this technology represents a major advance towards more sustainable hydrogen production.