OCAP harnesses technology and data to reuse CO₂

Powering positive change

OCAP, which stands for Organic CO2 for assimilation by plants, is an exciting, forward-thinking organization dedicated to the reuse of CO2 to prevent unnecessary emissions and energy consumption. Recognizing that too much CO2 is produced globally, OCAP is on a mission to capture carbon waste from industrial processes and then redistribute to it those who need it, thereby eliminating the need to produce more.

Greenhouse horticulturalists need CO2 to help their crops grow better. Until recently, they generated their own supply with a boiler or combined heat and power installations fueled by natural gas. This provided heat for the greenhouse and CO2 for the plants. However, in summer, when no heat is needed, the installation was fired just for CO2, which was a waste of energy.

OCAP, a Linde Group company, was established to meaningfully reuse CO2, in part by helping horticulturists burn much less natural gas and even switch to sustainable energy, such as geothermal and residual heat. Two sources of CO2 are used in the Rotterdam port area; upgrades are made to the CO2 quality; and OCAP then transports the CO₂ via an extensive pipeline network to more than 600 customers (greenhouses) in the Netherlands.

Given the nature of OCAP’s approach, it recognized the need to harness the power of technology and data in order to accurately track, measure, and control its CO2 distribution. To do so, the organization needed a platform that could offer insight and help understand details such as how much waste CO2 was being captured. OCAP therefore approached Capgemini Engineering to build, maintain and support a digital ecosystem for its operations.

A digital ecosystem for real-world results

The organization engaged Capgemini Engineering to support the development of a robust and future-proof bespoke application that would ultimately become its primary resource for carbon emissions information. This led to the creation of the MyOCAP digital ecosystem, a platform that gathers CO2 consumption data from OCAP customers and then provides them with valuable insights, much like a cell phone gives users statistics about their data usage.

For OCAP personnel, the platform provides additional functionality. It delivers comprehensive monitoring of their CO2 production and consumption balance and helps control distribution between different consumers. This is normally only required during the summer when there is more CO2 demand than the system can deliver.

Capgemini Engineering also provided detailed IT facilities for process monitoring as part of its service. OCAP personnel use this monitoring system to track the distribution of CO₂ through the pipeline equipment in real-time from a control room in Botlek/Rotterdam. In addition, process monitoring is necessary to keep track of details such as pressure, flow, and temperature to help detect potential leaks and improve safety throughout the distribution network.

Since MyOCAP was first developed, OCAP and Capgemini Engineering have expanded the platform with a multitude of features and capabilities as demand for the service has grown and technology has advanced. From the display of Agriport CO2 and CO2 production data to the implementation of a webservice API that retrieves consumption data from local equipment in the field, and new reporting capabilities, the partners have maintained a strong focus on the continuous improvement of the solution to make it more effective and profitable for OCAP.

A brighter future for horticulture and beyond

The innovative MyOCAP solution has brought about a number of considerable benefits for not only OCAP but the environment as well. The annual supply of 0.6 megatons of CO2 to the greenhouse horticultural sector saves the sector 0.3 billion m3 of natural gas.

In addition, MyOCAP has granted the organization far greater tracking and control over its distribution network while simultaneously reducing the amount of manual work needed for essential tasks – such as meter measuring – for over 600 end customers. The solution has made physical visits to client locations to take flow meter readings obsolete, saving huge amounts of time and money while eliminating manual errors that once lead to incorrect invoicing. OCAP customers also get valuable insights about their own CO₂ consumption. All of this has improved the production and quality of horticulture products by making CO2 consumption more efficient and strategic, which in turn contributes toward a stronger competitive position for the Dutch greenhouse market. At the same time, the environment benefits from reduced natural gas use.

To support the greenhouse horticultural sector’s goal to become fully sustainable by 2040, greenhouses must have access to a sufficient amount of external CO2. Therefore, OCAP and Capgemini Engineering have continued their partnership on a long-term basis with the aim of saving millions of cubic meters of natural gas and reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of tons of CO2.