The challenge.
Producing hydrogen through electrolysis is established technology. Purifying it at industrial scale — in Hydrogen and ATEX zones, while maintaining high energy efficiency — is a far more demanding engineering problem.
Air Liquide's ELYgator facility is a 200 MW electrolyzer located at Maasvlakte, in the Port of Rotterdam. It integrates both Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Alkaline Electrolysis (AEL) technologies on the same site — the first installation of its kind at this scale. The facility is designed to produce 23,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, supplying TotalEnergies' industrial platform and heavy-duty mobility applications, with a projected reduction of up to 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
Air Liquide entrusted Technofrigo by Clauger with the hydrogen purification scope: treating up to 42,000 Nm³/h of hydrogen across all production streams, in compliance with the strict safety and operational requirements of Hydrogen and ATEX zones.
Technofrigo by Clauger's role.
The hydrogen produced by both electrolyzer types (PEM and AEL) arrives with residual oxygen traces and elevated moisture content. Delivering hydrogen at the required quality demands a precise two-step purification process:
- Catalytic deoxidation. Residual oxygen traces are eliminated through a catalytic reaction activated at 200 °C, converting O₂ molecules into water (H₂O).
- TSA drying. The gas is dried using regenerable molecular sieves with Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA) dryers, removing moisture to the required purity level for downstream use.
All equipment is engineered and designed for operation in Hydrogen zones and ATEX-classified environments, complying with the most stringent safety standards applicable to explosive atmospheres.
Project scope & key figures.
Why ELYgator matters.
ELYgator sits within a broader European decarbonisation agenda. The project received support from the Dutch government through the OWE subsidy scheme, the European Innovation Fund, and the Dutch IPCEI program — reflecting its strategic importance to European clean-energy infrastructure. It directly supports Air Liquide's roadmap toward carbon neutrality in 2050 and contributes an estimated 4 million tonnes of CO₂ avoidance over its first decade of operation.
For Technofrigo by Clauger, ELYgator is a concrete demonstration of our ability to engineer safe, efficient and field-ready hydrogen purification systems for the most demanding industrial environments.
Few players combine the process engineering depth, gas handling expertise, and ATEX certification experience to operate at this scale. This project is proof that we do.
What we delivered.
- Process engineering. Complete design, specification and optimisation of the hydrogen purification process, handling the interaction between both PEM and AEL hydrogen streams.
- Gas expertise. Safe handling of hydrogen in ATEX-classified and Hydrogen zones, with full compliance with applicable codes and safety standards.
- Energy optimisation. Integration of R290 (propane) chilled-water units to maintain optimal temperatures for the TSA drying cycle, maximising efficiency while using a natural refrigerant.
- Skid fabrication. Manufacturing of skid-mounted packages up to 18 m in length, purpose-built for Hydrogen and ATEX zone operation.
ELYgator demonstrates that Technofrigo by Clauger has the capabilities, agility and credibility to become a reference partner for industrial players investing in decarbonised energies. This is only the beginning.
