On the 28^th of October Renewtec visited Cryostar SAS in Hésingue just outside Basel.

Jörgen Held, Renewtec together with Bruno Brethes, Executive Director, Business Unit Clean Energy, Cryostar SAS.

 

 

 

 

Cryostar SAS is a supplier of small scale natural gas (and biogas) liquefaction plants. The smallest unit has a capacity of approx. 20 tonnes/day.

The technology relies on the principles of a closed refrigerant cycle (nitrogen) to produce the Cold Power needed to condense the natural gas or biogas.

All the machinery is assembled and tested in Hésingue before deliverd to the customer. The tests are performed with air or liquid nitrogen.

 

 

 

Cryostar provides liquefaction plants, truck loading stations and vehicle fuel LNG stations. At the moment 40 stations delivered by Cryostar are in operation. Cryostar has working relation with providers of polishing units which is a need when liquefying upgraded biogas. As a subsidiary of the Linde Group services for distribution of LNG and LBG can be included.

Cryostar SAS has one of the largest testing facilities for cryogenic pumps in the world. The icing of the pipes is due to the moisture in the air freezing on to the cold parts.

 

 

 

Since a cryogenic pump requires much less electrical energy than a compressor L(C)NG stations are of great interest. Such stations are able to provide both LNG and CNG. The LNG is pressurized with the pump. When heated through a heat exchanger the high pressure liquid turns into compressed natural gas. The same goes for biogas, of course.