Case studies

Carbon Dioxide Recovery at Yara

Planning / Implementation / Main components

Axima Refrigeration France


Ammonia (NH3)

System start-up


Dry ice made from carbon dioxide is used to frost and store foodstuff. In its production, it is impossible to prevent some carbon dioxide from being released. The gas producer and dry ice manufacturer Yara - previously named Hydrogas - commissioned Axima Refrigeration France to build a refrigeration plant for the recovery and liquefaction of this released carbon dioxide.


In dry ice production, carbon dioxide is released in a ratio of one kilogram of carbon dioxide per one kilogram of dry ice. Because it is inefficient to allow the gas being released to the atmosphere, Yara was looking for a recovery plant.


The core element of the ammonia-based refrigeration plant is a flooded heat exchanger that liquefies gaseous carbon dioxide at 18 bars by Ammonia evaporating at -32 degrees Celsius in the same heat exchanger. On this plant, two tons per hour of carbon dioxide are recovered.

Technical data:


Type of facility (circuit)

Condensing unit



Refrigerating volume

600 kg

Refrigerating refrigerant


Refrigerating capacity

200 kW

Main components

flooded heat exchanger, screw compressors, tube bundle vaporizer unit

Special features / Comments

The recovery plant's concept sets environmental standards in two ways: On one hand, the excess carbon dioxide is recovered, and on the other hand, the environmentally friendly refrigerant ammonia is used to do so.


Axima Refrigeration France
Pierre Bouttefroy
6 Rue de l'atome
F-67800 Bischheim
Phone: +33 (0)3 88 19 19 00
Fax: + 33 (0)3 88 19 19 49