Meet Ulrich Schmitz
Being a seasoned professional in business development, Ulrich Schmitz is always on the lookout for new opportunities. After an almost three-decade long career in the Atlas Copco Group, Ulrich is now leading a marketing team specialized in compressor technology for the traditionally emission-heavy Gas & Process sector. No wonder his eyes are set on carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS).
Job: Vice President Marketing
Specialist Subject: Process gas and air equipment
We are always exploring how our technologies can fit new needs and applications. The most exciting part about CCUS is to figure out how to leverage our already very energy-efficient compressor technology to support our customers on their quest to further reduce their CO2 emissions.
Enabling the CCUS process
The compressors and expanders offered by Ulrich and his team can enable all key stages of CCUS, from capturing to storage. The best part is that the equipment already is available on the market.
“Our technologies are integral to the entire journey, either as part of the capturing process itself or applied downstream, for example to boost CO2 for transport in pipelines or for underground storage. When it is to be transported on carriers, our products can support the CO2 liquefaction. When captured CO2 is to be reused, for example in e-methanol processes, our equipment can be applied to compress the gas,” says Ulrich..
Overcoming Challenges
To remain at the forefront of carbon capture, Ulrich and his team are in continuous dialogue with customers and their process designers. The innovation flow covers both modifications of existing products and additional R&D investments. However, CCUS is facing cost issues and without governmental support, projects may have a hard time to move ahead.
“Together with the sales team, we try to identify realistic opportunities and how to utilize our global engineering and production resources to help our customers move ahead,” says Ulrich.
One of Ulrich’s proudest achievements is the recent sale of the largest gas compressor Atlas Copco Group has ever built. This compressor is part of a customer’s initiative to recover CO2 from natural gas for net-zero power production.
The opportunities are promising, but there are also several challenges.
In this type of innovation, you must be persistent and keep your eyes on the goal. Carbon capture can support the shift to a low-carbon economy, and we are excited to do our part to make it happen.
Listen to Ulrich on TechTalks
Ulrich Schmitz was a guest on the second episode of the TechTalks podcast, where we discussed if carbon capture can be a solution to the climate challenge.
