WATCH : IndustReal Podcast Interview: hydrogen market

On the one hand, he notes, electrification is vital. On the other, “There are plenty of applications that you can't electrify, and that's really where hydrogen shines.” A good example is heavy duty transportation, which includes airplanes, boats, trucks, and trains. He also notes cement and steel as promising industries for hydrogen to support decarbonization:. “Where you really need to burn a fuel at a high temperature, that's where hydrogen can really shine,” he says.

It is not, however, straight forward: transporting hydrogen is difficult because it takes up so much space as a gas. Reducing the volume via liquefaction is one of the solutions, making liquid hydrogen one of the most effective ways of  transporting hydrogen. The difference this makes can be seen from the fact that one liquid hydrogen tanker truck can carry the same amount of hydrogen as eight gaseous hydrogen tanker trucks.

Atlas Copco Gas and Process has a successful track record from its vast experience in the LNG industry, notably with turbomachinery on the refrigeration side and with boil-off gas handling. Even with this cryogenic experience, hydrogen liquefaction is still a challenge: hydrogen liquefies at -253°C., This is where the state-of-the-art turbomachinery comes in. Compression and expansion provide the refrigeration to “super-cool the hydrogen to cryogenic temperatures and liquefy it”, explains Patrick. “It's actually quite similar to other cryogenic processes, like air separation or natural gas liquefaction – LNG – just at a colder temperature.”

Of course, it’s not a new process. In fact, NASA has been using liquid hydrogen for rocket fuel since the 1960s. Today, however, for a speedy energy transition and wide-scale utilization, “The cost really needs to come down for hydrogen delivered to the fuel station.” As a result, the focus has shifted from small- to large-scale liquefiers to enable economies of scale and really drive down the cost.

 “One of the innovations we've made at Atlas Copco is to offer magnetic-bearing turboexpanders, which allows high-capacity refrigeration in an oil-free configuration. It also enables energy recovery from the turboexpander, which is certainly something that sets us apart.” There are already hundreds of Atlas Copco Gas and Process machines running in hydrogen-rich applications, so hydrogen certainly isn’t new to Atlas Copco. Backed by top-tier aftermarket service, these machines have logged millions of hours, ensuring efficiency, longevity, and minimal waste—reinforcing our commitment to the circular economy.