Air Liquide has long been integrating sustainability into its strategy through its contributions to environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) actions and commitments across its organization. Sustainability is indeed firmly anchored in our strategic plan ADVANCE as a concrete commitment and a catalyst for value creation for the company but also for our customers and patients. We are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 with two major intermediate steps: a decrease in our CO2 emissions in absolute value by 2025, followed by a 33% reduction of our CO2 emissions by 2035 compared to 2020. In this article, we will show you how digital supports Air Liquide’s sustainability objectives and is a true driving force behind its journey to become a champion of climate solutions for industry and mobility. Analysis by Accenture, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, shows that digital technologies, if scaled across industries, could deliver up to 20% of the 2050 reduction needed to hit the International Energy Agency net-zero trajectories in the energy, materials and mobility industries. At Air Liquide, we fully seized the opportunity and embarked on an innovative quest to decarbonize our practices using the guiding stars of technology and innovation. There are three main areas we focused on to achieve our goal of reducing carbon footprint.
First,enhancing operational excellence and energy efficiency. At the heart of Air Liquide’s sustainable transformation is the smart utilization of big data analytics. Air Liquide is revolutionizing industrial operations with its Smart Innovative Operations (SIO) initiative, which employs real-time control of its units across a network of 8 remote centers. This innovative approach harnesses the power of AI, which remains today an enabler, a “companion” to help Air Liquide teams make swift and informed decisions, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and plant reliability. By monitoring 210 production units globally, SIO not only enhances performance but also significantly cuts resource consumption and emissions, marking a leap forward in sustainable industrial practice. Leveraging the synergy of big data analytics and human expertise, Air Liquide’s SIO centers finely tune the production flows of interconnected units to align seamlessly with customer demand. These centers employ cuttingedge data analysis and predictive maintenance technologies to enhance the efficiency of our gas production plants. The precision in operational adjustments not only boosts plant performance but also refines energy utilization, illustrating a sophisticated merger of intelligence with efficiency in industrial production.
At Air Liquide, we fully seized the opportunity and embarked on an innovative quest to decarbonize our practices using the guiding stars of technology and innovation
In the Americas, with an investment of over 200 million Canadian dollars, Air Liquide is set to introduce a low-carbon gas production hub in Bécancour, Québec, featuring a new air separation unit adding to the existing world’s largest PEM electrolyzer at 20 MW for renewable gases, complete with expanded storage and a dedicated pipeline network. AI comes into play as a powerful ally in prediction and optimization in operations, with machine learning forecasting demand and aligning production, thus enhancing efficiency and reducing waste. Second, Air Liquide is focusing on logistics as a key area for decarbonizing operations. With its fleet covering around 590 million kilometers a year, the potential for reducing emissions is significant. In response to this challenge, Air Liquide initiated the Integrated Bulk Operations (IBO) program in 2020, infusing artificial intelligence into the heart of its supply chain digitization efforts. The IBO program integrates a suite of advanced tools that overhaul the traditional delivery model. By connecting tanks at customer sites, the program anticipates the need for gas replenishments, coordinating with an AI-optimized network of delivery trucks. This connectivity enables precise forecasting and route optimization,
administered by a team of drivers and dispatchers equipped with AI tools designed to select the most efficient delivery paths and supply points. The result is a streamlined process that not only offers better service reliability to customers but also significantly reduces the logistical carbon footprint. With a strategic goal of reducing its fleet global emissions by 10% per year up until 2025, Air Liquide is set on a clear path toward a more sustainable and efficient future. Third, Air Liquide’s proactive environmental strategy permeates every level of operation, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and the mindful use of technology. Recognizing that the digital sector contributes to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions— as reported by ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency)—it is important to intensify efforts to shrink its IT footprint.
An example of this effort within Air Liquide is an educational campaign seeking to raise employee awareness of good habits for reducing environmental impact. It aims to measure and reduce the environmental impact of IT. As you can see, at Air Liquide, it is not just about advanced measures but also everyday actions that accumulate significant environmental benefits. Another example is that Air Liquide has shifted to cloud computing solutions, partnering with service providers like Google Workspace, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft for Business Intelligence, which are all aligned with reducing carbon emissions in their operations. We are also promoting responsible digital practices among our employees, evidencing our commitment to, for example, the recycling of 3,000 PCs by the year 2021. Our initiatives reflect a dedication to tangible, impactful environmental stewardship within the digital landscape of our operations. In conclusion, Air Liquide’s integration of data and AI into its operations paves the way for more sustainable industrial processes to benefit our operations, our customers, and society more widely.
