Air Liquide Signs Deal to Supply Hydrogen to Covestro's Antwerp Facility

French industrial gases major, Air Liquide, and German polymer materials firm, Covestro, have signed a new long-term contract for the supply of hydrogen at Covestro’s production site in the port area of Antwerp. Covestro will use the hydrogen in the production of aniline, which is one of the base chemicals of the polyurethanes.

Air Liquide will invest Euro 80-mn in the construction of a “new generation” hydrogen production unit. This plant will be fitted with a new Air Liquide proprietary technology that improves energy efficiency and the overall environmental footprint of the production process. The hydrogen produced will also enable Air Liquide to supply customers in this industrial basin in Europe.

Air Liquide will design, build and operate the hydrogen production unit – SMR-X – a new generation of steam methane reformer (SMR) equipped with Air Liquide’s proprietary technology that produces hydrogen without co-producing excess steam.

“Overall natural gas consumption to produce hydrogen, as well as CO2 emissions will be reduced by around 5% compared with conventional SMR. At the same time, part of the CO2 generated during the production process will be captured by Covestro and used as a feedstock in its production process. By capturing carbon and upgrading the recovered CO2, this model is part of a circular economy system,” informed a press note from Air Liquide.

Expected to start operation in 2020, this new plant will also support the development of the Covestro production site in Benelux and will strengthen Air Liquide’s existing network for the supply of hydrogen in the Antwerp industrial area.