Carbon Capture

Understanding Carbon Capture

What is carbon capture (CCS/CCUS)?

Carbon capture is the process of separating CO₂ from industrial gas streams before it is released into the atmosphere. Captured CO₂ can be utilized or permanently stored, helping reduce industrial emissions.

What are the main carbon capture strategies?

There are three common carbon capture strategies: pre-combustion (CO₂ separated before combustion), oxy-fuel combustion (fuel burned in oxygen to produce a CO₂-rich stream), and post-combustion (CO₂ separated from exhaust gases-often used for retrofits).

What happens after CO₂ is captured?

Captured CO₂ often requires purification, compression and liquefaction before it can be transported, utilized or permanently stored. The appropriate pathway depends on the intended application, infrastructure and storage solution.

Carbon Capture Built for Industry

Carbon capture is only the first step. To unlock value through utilization or storage, captured CO₂ often needs to be purified, compressed, liquefied and prepared for transportation. Linde combines carbon capture technologies with decades of experience in industrial gas processing, engineering and project execution to support customers across the full carbon management value chain.

From Capture to Conditioned CO₂

Carbon Capture
Different industrial processes require different carbon capture approaches. Linde supports solutions tailored to the source gas, operating conditions and project requirements, including technologies for both new-built facilities and retrofit applications.

When choosing the right carbon capture technology, it's important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to carbon capture. The optimal technology depends on factors such as process configuration, emission source, CO₂ concentration and project objectives.

• Post-Combustion Capture: Captures CO₂ from flue gases after combustion, making it particularly well suited for retrofit applications and existing industrial facilities. Learn more about Post-Combustion Capture
• Pre-Combustion Capture: Captures CO2 from synthesis gas streams before combustion and is commonly applied in hydrogen production and gasification processes.

• Oxyfuel Combustion: Uses oxygen instead of air during combustion to create a concentrated CO₂ stream that can simplify carbon capture. Learn more about Oxyfuel Combustion

CO₂ Conditioning
Once captured, CO₂ often requires purification, compression and liquefaction before it can be transported or used. Linde's expertise in industrial gas processing helps customers prepare CO₂ streams to meet specific project and infrastructure requirements. Discover our CO₂ purification and liquefaction technologies

Utilization or Storage
Conditioned CO₂ can be used in industrial applications-including food and beverage production, chemical manufacturing and greenhouse cultivation-or directed to permanent geological storage. Linde helps customers develop integrated solutions that connect capture systems with downstream utilization, transportation and storage pathways.

Carbon Capture Applications Across Industry

Carbon capture can support decarbonization across a wide range of industries. Different sectors face unique challenges, requiring solutions tailored to specific processes, operating environments and emissions profiles.

Hydrogen and Ammonia

Carbon capture plays a critical role in reducing emissions from hydrogen and ammonia production. In hydrogen production, integrating carbon capture into steam methane reforming can capture up to 95% of generated CO₂, enabling the production of low-carbon blue hydrogen. Linde supports customers across the value chain, from CO₂ capture through conditioning, transportation and storage.

Explore Hydrogen Technologies

Refining

Refineries often contain multiple emission sources with varying gas stream characteristics. Carbon capture can help operators reduce emissions while leveraging existing assets and infrastructure. Linde works with customers to evaluate capture opportunities and develop solutions aligned with operational and decarbonization objectives.

Cement, Steel and Chemicals

Industries such as cement, steel and chemicals face some of the most difficult decarbonization challenges due to process-related emissions. Carbon capture can provide a practical pathway to reduce emissions where efficiency improvements alone may not be sufficient. Linde's engineering expertise helps customers develop solutions tailored to challenging gas streams and industrial operating environments.

Why Linde

Experience Across the Carbon Management Value Chain

Carbon capture projects require more than capture technology alone. Successful deployment depends on selecting the appropriate solution, integrating it into existing operations and preparing captured CO₂ for utilization, transportation or storage.

Linde combines carbon capture expertise with decades of experience in industrial gases, process engineering, project execution and CO₂ handling to support customers from project evaluation through implementation.

What You Can Expect from Linde

• End-to-end support across the carbon management value chain
• Expertise in CO₂ purification, compression and liquefaction
• Engineering and project execution capabilities from concept through operation
• Solutions tailored to industry-specific requirements and operating conditions
• Integration of carbon capture with downstream transportation, utilization and storage pathways

Advancing Post-Combustion Carbon Capture with BASF

To support growing demand for carbon capture solutions, Linde and BASF have combined their expertise to deliver integrated post-combustion capture solutions. The collaboration combines BASF's gas treatment technologies with Linde's engineering, project execution and CO₂ processing capabilities.

What This Collaboration Enables

• Integrated carbon capture and CO₂ conditioning solutions
• Optimized process and energy integration
• Simplified implementation through a coordinated solution offering
• Support for large-scale industrial decarbonization projects

Developing Your Carbon Capture Project

Carbon capture projects require careful evaluation of technical feasibility, economics, infrastructure requirements and long-term CO₂ management pathways. Linde supports customers throughout the project lifecycle, helping turn decarbonization ambitions into practical implementation strategies.

Project Development Support Includes

• Feasibility studies
• Technology selection
• Front-end engineering and design (FEED)
• Permitting support
• Infrastructure and logistics planning
• Project execution and startup support

Frequently Asked Questions

Can carbon capture work for existing industrial facilities?

Yes. Post-combustion capture is widely used for retrofit applications because it captures CO₂ from exhaust gases after combustion. This approach can often be integrated into existing industrial operations with minimal impact on core production processes.

Does Linde only provide CO₂ capture, or the full chain?

Linde supports the broader carbon management value chain, including carbon capture, purification, compression, liquefaction and downstream handling solutions for transportation, utilization and storage.

How does carbon capture support blue hydrogen?

Blue hydrogen is produced by combining hydrogen production with carbon capture. In steam methane reforming applications, up to 95% of generated CO₂ can be captured, helping reduce the carbon intensity of hydrogen production.

Which industries can benefit from carbon capture?

Carbon capture can support emissions reduction across many sectors, including hydrogen, ammonia, refining, chemicals, cement and steel-particularly where process-related emissions are difficult to eliminate through efficiency improvements alone.

What is the role of Linde and BASF in post-combustion capture?

Linde and BASF collaborate to deliver integrated post-combustion capture solutions that combine BASF's gas treatment expertise with Linde's capabilities in plant design, engineering, construction and downstream CO₂ conditioning and handling.