The Solar Impulse Foundation, created by the Swiss adventurer and opinion leader Bertrand Piccard, has officially labeled 1,000 “efficient solutions” that offer both profitability and sustainability. Twenty-five of these innovations were developed or supported by Air Liquide! Each of them in their own way are contributing to change the world.
Bertrand Piccard earned a place in history by completing two record-setting aeronautic feats—the world’s first non-stop, round-the-world flight in an air balloon followed by a more recent trip around the globe in a solar-powered, fuel-less aircraft named Solar Impulse. In 2017, as the creator and president of the Solar Impulse Foundation, Bertrand Piccard set the challenge of selecting 1,000 efficient solutions to protect the environment in a profitable way. These technologies must have the potential to create jobs and stimulate economic growth while also reducing CO2 and preserving natural resources.
A winning bet
That goal has now been reached! Air Liquide is proud to have contributed towards this success. As a member of the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions since day one, the Group has played a key role in this process on two fronts: Air Liquide contributed experts to the assessment process and submitted its own solutions for certification. To date, 34 Air Liquide experts are participating in the assessment process, and 24 solutions from the Group and its partners have been labeled, making Air Liquide the partner with the most solutions to its name!
These solutions called on every facet of Air Liquide’s diverse and wide-ranging expertise. Some solutions were designed by the Group, such as Blueeze™, which uses liquid nitrogen for a clean, quiet and performant refrigerated transport; and Cryocap™, a CO2 capture and purification solution for multiple manufacturing sectors, including hydrogen production, thermal power stations, and steel plants. Others were designed by partner start-ups. Such is true of Wagabox, a breakthrough technology to upgrade landfill gas into pure biomethane compliant with grid injection requirements, and Lungs of the City, an energy-efficient purification technology for large-scale elimination of air pollution in urban areas.
The diverse nature of Air Liquide’s participation can also be seen in the levels of maturity of the solutions supported. Its portfolio includes everything from prototypes, like HyRis, an electrolysis solution for green hydrogen production, to marketed services like EnScribe, a product line designed for the semiconductor industry.
Discover 1,000 solutions on the Solar Impulse Foundation website
Labelled solutions
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Wagabox
Upgrading landfill gas into grid-compliant biomethane. -
Cryocap
A unique CO2-capture solution using cryogenic technology. -
HyRiS Lab
Small Hydrogen Refuelling Station at 100 bar without compressor. -
Solidia
Lowers cement & concrete CO2 footprint up to 70% -
Nexelia for Metal Melting
Reducing CO2 emissions with optimised shaft furnace operation. -
Cold Membrane CO2 Technology
Designed to capture GHG from industrial sources -
ENS Clean Air Solutions
Creating a healthier urban living environment
The "Solar Impulse Efficient Solution" label is granted to industrial products, services, and processes at various stages of maturity developed by start-ups and large companies working in the water, energy, construction, mobility, industry, and agricultural sectors.
The Solar Impulse Foundation’s Community of Experts is a group of specialists selected by the Foundation with over five years of technical experience in one or more of the fields covered by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Each solution is anonymously assessed by three experts using a methodology based on verified standards covering three themes, namely Feasibility (two criteria), Environmental Impact, and Profitability (two criteria). A solution is labeled when it receives a minimum of two approvals from two different experts regarding the five criteria.
What comes next?
The Foundation has met its 1,000-solution goal. But it has no plans to stop there. Beginning in the summer of 2021, these solutions will be featured in an online Guide that individuals, companies, and governments can consult to implement the technology on a large scale. The Foundation will also provide public authorities with a Cleanprint, a report that lays out a clear and concrete path towards achieving their climate commitments. Bertrand Piccard will present the first report of this kind at the COP26 summit in November 2021. He will then undertake a third round-the-world journey to meet with political and economic decision-makers.
For its part, Air Liquide is continuing to support this initiative in keeping with Group’s commitments presented by Benoît Potier on March 2021: act for a sustainable future.
“States, companies and citizens, we all share a responsibility in building the future. Now more than ever, Air Liquide makes the commitment to act for a low-carbon society, including by reducing CO2 emissions, and thus contributing to building a sustainable future. Solutions exist. Let’s all act together.
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Benoît Potier
Chairman & CEO of Air Liquide
