Air Liquide’s hydrogen production plant in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, needed some new process gas compressors. So the company placed a call to Burkhardt Compression that resulted in three new process gas compressors being delivered in April to the plant. The responsible contractor for the project is Air Liquide’s subsidiary Lurgi GmbH.

The compressors will be used to maintain the hydrogen pipeline pressure at 100 bar.

Extensive life cycle cost analysis among several suppliers have shown that the offeredcompressors will minimize the operating cost and maximize the meantime between overhaul. This requires special knowledge in the dry-running technology, an accurate material selection for the specific operating conditions as well as reliability and high availability for the equipment offered.

Commissioning of the process gas compressors is scheduled to be completed in early 2011.

The hydrogen will be generated from steam reforming of methane (reacting methane with steam to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide). The plant will also be connected to Air Liquide’s Northern European hydrogen network, which includes eight hydrogen generation units and over 900 km of pipeline.