Cryocap™: an inside look at the Port-Jérôme site

Published on November 10, 2020

1 min

Photo Tour

We're inviting you to take a photo tour of a site that's home to a CO2 cold capture system unlike any other in the world.
Credit: Adrien Daste. 
  • The Port-Jérôme site in Normandy, France, is the largest steam methane reforming hydrogen production unit operated by Air Liquide in France.
  • The major part of the hydrogen produced is sent directly via pipeline to the nearby refinery (at a rate of around 50,000 Nm3/ hour). The hydrogen is used to reduce the sulfur content in the fuel.
  • Cryocap™ is an additional component of this process launched in 2015. A world premiere. This technology enables the cold capture of CO2 released during hydrogen production via a cryogenic process.
  • Cryocap™ also allows for a 10 to 20% increase in hydrogen production, depending on the configuration of the facilities, by optimizing hydrogen recovery.
  • Meanwhile, the cost of CO2 capture is reduced by around 30% compared to other technologies.
  • The CO2 is liquefied and purified until it can be classified as food grade, then it is transported by truck to various Air Liquide customers, mainly agricultural producers, the agri-food industry (for deep-freezing, packaging or carbonation), and major distributors (transport and cold chain maintenance).
  • The Cryocap™ technology can capture up to 100,000 metric tons of CO2 a year. In 5 years, it has helped produce 8,000 metric tons of additional hydrogen.
    Cryocap™ has led to several patent filings, illustrating the Group's ability to innovate.
  • With Cryocap™, Air Liquide has opened up new prospects for reducing CO2 emissions at its own production sites and those of its customers around the world.
Port-Jérôme is one of the few sites in Europe capable of producing certified low-carbon hydrogen. It is a pilot site for the CertifHy project, a Guarantee of Origin platform for green or low-carbon hydrogen.

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