Air Liquide advanced Technologies

World leader in high technologies in the field of gas, Air Liquide advanced Technologies puts its expertise to work for numerous sectors: space, science, industry and marine.

Our mission

For more 60 years, innovation has been at the heart of our business at Air Liquide advanced Technologies. Squarely focused on the future, we strive to develop the savoir-faire of Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for Industry and Health, in highly technology areas. Specialized in extreme cryogenics and gas engineering, we offer novel and competitive solutions for our customers.

EXPERTISE AT THE SERVICE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FIELDS

We approach each project globally, combining advice, solutions design, related services, and risk control. Thanks to our global presence, we can be closer to our customers, which allows us to anticipate and respond as quickly as possible to their needs.

  • 1,300+
    employees

  • 1
    test area

  • 60
    years of technical, industrial, and commercial expertise

Our expertises

Air Liquide advanced Technologies is recognized for its leading expertise in:

  • gas separation
  • gas refrigeration at very low temperature and liquefaction
  • gas analysis and quality control
  • gas treatment
  • gas storage and distribution

We are present in 5 key markets:

  • Space: Design and fabrication of cryogenic equipment for launchers, orbital systems, and launch pads.
  • Marine: Design and manufacture of methane reliquefaction systems for ships carrying natural gas, as well as systems for generating and storage onboard gases.
  • Science: Design and fabrication of cooling equipment at cryogenic temperatures (< - 150°C, 120 K) for laboratories and large scientific infrastructures.
  • Industry: Development of gas purification and liquefaction systems 

Our history

Focus on historical milestones

The Sassenage facility opened in 1962 with the conviction that cryogenics was destined for a bright industrial future.The first applications, for space, were developed rapidly. Over the years, our expertise has developed in a number of new markets.

1962
Air Liquide facility in Sassenage (Isère, France) opens.

1964
Hydrogen test zone set up.

1973
Birth of the Ariane program in Brussels, with Air Liquide advanced Technologies involved from square one in the design of the launcher.

1979
1st launch of Ariane 1, with third stage tanks developed and manufactured at the Sassenage facility.

1980
1st Helial liquefier with fully automatic controls completed. A world first.

1987
Protective breathing equipment designed by advanced Technologies adopted by Air France.

1990
OBOGS adopted on the Rafale program, to be fitted on over 200 planes.

2001
Historic contract with CERN: 27 kilometres of cryogenic lines for the LHC ring.

2004
Largest refrigerator in the world set up at CERN.

2007
Two Air Liquide advanced Technologies sites set up in the United States and China.

2008
Air Liquide advanced Technologies set up a site in Japan.

2009
Launch of Planck and Herschel, the innovative technologies of Air Liquide are installed in the very heart of these two scientific satellites.

2010
A 2nd helium production unit in Ras Laffan (Qatar): the largest in the world (up to 38 million m3/year) and the largest liquefier.

2011
200th flight of the Ariane launcher.

2012
Curiosity lands on Mars and delivers its first analyses following the successful operational start-up of its scientific instruments, including Sample Analysis at Mars, a project that Air Liquide has been working on since 2005.

2013
Air Liquide, official supporter of Solar Impulse, the solar-powered aircraft.

Signature for the project to supply the entire liquid helium cryogenic component (ITER LHe Plant) that will be installed on the ITER site in Cadarache, France.

2014
25 years of flying for Air Liquide's oxygen generating system OBOGS.

2015
Air Liquide awarded a new contract for the ITER project, strengthening its leadership in extreme cryogenics.

2016
Solar Impulse completed the first ever round-the-world solar flight.

Air Liquide Global Markets & Technologies 

Air Liquide advanced Technologies belongs to the Air Liquide Global Markets and Technologies (GM&T) World Business Unit, which employs 2,600 people worldwide and generated a revenue of €858 million in 2023.

The GM&T World Business Unit delivers technological solutions - molecules, equipment and services - to support the fast moving markets of energy transition and deep tech, in order to contribute to Air Liquide sustainable growth.