Large Air Separation Units (ASU)
Mega ASU complexes provide highly reliable, large-scale production of oxygen, nitrogen, and rare gases for energy-intensive industrial processes.
Air Liquide Engineering & Technologies designs large Air Separation Units to meet the massive gas requirements of heavy industries, acting as a global technology partner to deliver optimized, safe, and highly reliable gas production plants worldwide.
Massive industrial integration
Our Large ASUs are designed for seamless integration into massive industrial hubs.
- Unparalleled scale: Plant capacities range from a few hundred tonnes per day up to Mega ASU complexes (multi-train) producing more than 15,000 tonnes per day.
- High purity output: Capable of producing oxygen up to 99.8% purity and delivering it at pressures up to 100 bara.
- Valuable co-products: Alongside oxygen, these units simultaneously produce nitrogen, compressed dry air, and rare gases including Krypton, Xenon, Helium, and Neon.
- Process optimization: We offer several process configurations to optimize economics based on specific product requirements, local energy costs, and process integration needs.
A proven global track record
With over 4,000 referenced units worldwide, Air Liquide Engineering & Technologies brings unparalleled EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) expertise. From initial design to final commissioning, we provide optimized solutions focusing on construction strategy, operating philosophy, and long-term plant reliability.
How an Air Separation Unit works
The operating principle of an Air Separation Unit is based on gas physics: each gas has its own specific liquefaction temperature.
The process begins with air compression and adsorption purification to remove impurities. By cooling the air to extreme temperatures, the gases gradually change to a liquid state at specific thresholds: oxygen at -183°C, argon at -186°C, and nitrogen at -196°C. This difference in temperature allows the internal cryogenic distillation columns to isolate and separate each molecule perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a large Air Separation Unit (ASU)?
A Large Air Separation Unit is an industrial facility that uses a cryogenic distillation process to separate atmospheric air into its primary components, producing massive quantities of purified oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.
What industries use Large ASUs?
Large ASUs serve energy-intensive sectors including steel making, coal gasification, clean power (IGCC, oxycombustion), gas monetization, and chemicals manufacturing (such as ethylene and propylene oxide).
What is the energy consumption of a Large ASU?
The specific energy consumption of an Air Liquide Large ASU typically ranges from 160 to 500 kWh per tonne, depending on the required product specifications and process integration.
Our air gases solutions
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APSA: Nitrogen Generation SystemAir Liquide APSA units are safe and reliable small-capacity nitrogen generation system producing 500 to 9,000 Nm³/h of high-purity nitrogen.Read more
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VSA Vacuum Swing Adsorption UnitAir Liquide's VSA oxygen generator is compact, fully-packaged skid produces up to 60 tons per day of oxygen for various heavy industries.Read more
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SIGMA: Standard Air Separation UnitAir Liquide offers SIGMA fully-packaged, standard air separation unit producing 110 to 380 tpd of oxygen for heavy industries.Read more
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Yango™: Standard Air Separation UnitYango™ is Air Liquide's highly efficient, standardized ASU for oxygen production (up to 770 tpd) with optimized CAPEX and OPEX.Read more
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UPO: Ultra Pure OxygenAir Liquide UPO units are highly flexible solutions generating 120 to 600 Nm³/h of ultra-pure oxygen to secure semiconductor manufacturing.Read more
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TurboexpandersHighly efficient and reliable turboexpanders for industrial scale air separation units and liquefaction systems
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