As one of the world's leading industrial equipment manufacturers, Atlas Copco is at the forefront of the movement to enable the transformation to a low-carbon society. Our innovative and intelligently designed vacuum solutions drive efficiency by increasing our customers’ productivity and reducing production costs through energy savings and connected Industry 4.0 ready pumps and systems. The use of the revolutionary Variable Speed Drive (VSD) technology in our vacuum pumps enables our customers to increase their energy efficiency and reduce carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Ambitious global goals have led to technological innovation and ground-breaking research in the race to net zero. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage is one result of these efforts. Critical to combating climate change and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, Atlas Copco are supporting companies to establish this technology by offering solutions that use our clean, energy efficient vacuum pumps and systems.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)
The current efforts of manufacturers to reduce their environmental impact may not be enough, which is why Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies have the potential to play a vital role moving forward.
Carbon capture
Carbon capture involves using different technologies to separate CO2 from industrial exhaust channels or directly from sea water or the atmosphere. These include chemical solvent-based, physical solvent-based, adsorption-based, and even cryogenic carbon capture. Vacuum pumps play a vital role in these technologies by providing the low-pressure environment required for efficient gas separation, compression, and purification.
Atlas Copco vacuum pumps and systems enable efficient CO2 separation in various carbon capture methods:
Post-combustion capture
This process involves the capture of carbon after the combustion of fuel and air to produce flue gas. Vacuum pumps are needed to separate CO2 from flue gases in power plants and industrial facilities after combustion. Large flows are required, which is why Atlas Copco's GHS VSD+ oil-sealed screw vacuum pump and larger size AWS and AWD series liquid ring pumps ensure efficient performance, high reliability and low maintenance in these applications.
Direct air capture
Sea water degassing
The sea waters are capable of trapping large amounts of CO2 from atmosphere. Different technologies are in study for the removal of CO2 from seawater and all of them rely on vacuum. The harsh offshore environment and process conditions require state of the art and robust vacuum solutions. Atlas Copco liquid ring AWS and AWD series coupled with our range of mechanical boosters represent an optimal choice.
CO2 Compression and Purification, Utilization and Storage
After capturing CO2, it must be compressed and purified to meet storage or utilization requirements. Vacuum pumps are used in conjunction with other separation technologies to remove impurities from captured CO2. Atlas Copco's portfolio of vacuum pumps contribute to multi-stage compression systems, ensuring consistent and efficient CO2 compression storage and further utilization in industrial processes.
By making use of Atlas Copco’s innovative, robust and intelligent vacuum solutions, our CCUS customers have the added benefit of lower operating costs, high reliability and reassurance of support from a global service network ensuring optimal system performance.