Cool Sorption

What Cool Sorption does

Cool Sorption A/S is a privately held Danish engineering firm founded in 1982 in Glostrup, Denmark, specializing in the design, manufacture, and supply of Vapour Recovery Units (VRUs) for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission abatement at oil and gas terminals, marine loading facilities, and chemical storage sites. The company's core technology stack rests on activated carbon adsorption, with proprietary process variants including Cold Liquid Absorption (CLA, patented 1983), Carbon Vacuum Adsorption (CVA), a proprietary three-bed CVA configuration developed in 2012, ACVA pre-absorption, and CVPC pressurized condensation. Across its three product lines — the standardized Depot Series for truck and rail terminals, the pre-engineered Terminal Series for high-throughput marine and depot operations, and fully customized systems for onshore and offshore hydrocarbon facilities — Cool Sorption sells heavy engineered capital equipment with lead times of 20–46 weeks, supported by what it describes as Europe's largest dedicated VRU service organization, with approximately 75% of the 320+ installed base under recurring service agreements.\n\nThe business model combines one-time equipment sales with a high-coverage recurring service stream. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales to oil majors (Shell, BP, Equinor, ENOC), integrated energy and chemical companies (Siemens, BASF, Sasol, IndianOil, Hyundai, PTT), and the world's largest independent tank storage operators (Vopak, Oiltanking, Exolum, Koole, Interterminals, Cepsa, Lotos, Tüpraş). Pricing is custom-quoted per terminal based on hydrocarbon concentration, throughput, and configuration, with multi-year delivery and service contracts as the standard billing cadence. The company supplements equipment with brownfield revamp services, SCADA/PLC upgrades, ECO-mode retrofits, and active carbon replacement packages. Marketing is conducted through a corporate website, technical articles in trade publications (e.g., Tank Storage Magazine), LinkedIn presence, and direct participation in StocExpo, the principal global tank storage trade show.\n\nCool Sorption has executed a long-term product evolution from its 1983 CLA patent through a 2002 transition to rotary vane vacuum pumps, the 2012 launch of its proprietary three-bed CVA Terminal Series, the 2013 introduction of the pre-engineered Depot Series, and a 2019 pivot into methanol and green fuel applications to align with the energy transition. The firm operates globally with regional offices supporting multilingual sales coverage and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (most recently reissued July 5, 2023, by Force Technology). With approximately 20 employees, the company has remained privately held, founder-controlled, and organically financed, with no disclosed venture, private equity, or institutional investment.

Name

Cool Sorption

Legal name

Cool Sorption A/S

Website

https://coolsorption.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cool Sorption A/S is a Danish privately held firm founded in 1982 that designs, manufactures, and services proprietary Vapour Recovery Units based on activated carbon adsorption for oil and gas terminals, marine loading facilities, and chemical storage operators globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Vapour Recovery Systems

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-combustion Capture Systems (Solid Sorbents & Structured Adsorbents) (EUABAGAB)

Keywords

• Vapour recovery units
• VOC emission control
• Activated carbon adsorption
• Terminal gas recovery
• Hydrocarbon vapour capture

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. VRU Equipment Sales: Sale of Vapour Recovery Units ranging from small compact units to complex systems. Cool Sorption designs, manufactures, and supplies VRUs based on various technologies including CVA, ACVA, CVPC, PLA, and CLA processes.
2. Service and Maintenance Agreements: Extensive after-sales service agreements covering preventive maintenance, start-up, commissioning, capacity testing, training, 24-hour emergency hotline, on-line diagnostics, and on-site service visits. Approximately 75% of installed units are covered by service agreements.
3. Brownfield Services: Detailed review and recommendations for existing VRU installations, including additional equipment, carbon replacement, control system upgrades, and system revamps.
4. Service Packages: Cost-saving packages including ECO-mode energy optimization, SCADA and PLC upgrades, instrument replacement, pump renovation, and active carbon replacement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cool Sorption designs, manufactures, and supplies Vapour Recovery Units (VRUs) and systems based on activated carbon adsorption technology to capture Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) vapours released during loading and unloading of gasoline, crude oil, and other hydrocarbons. The portfolio spans standardized Depot Series units, pre-engineered Terminal Series units with a proprietary 3-bed design, and fully customized VRU systems for onshore and offshore hydrocarbon facilities, complemented by after-sales service and maintenance agreements.

Product overview

Cool Sorption offers a complete portfolio of Vapour Recovery Units (VRUs) ranging from small compact units to the industry's most complex systems. The core product lines include the VRU Depot Series (standardized units for truck/rail terminals with 20-26 week delivery), VRU Terminal Series (pre-engineered units for larger terminals with proprietary 3-bed design, 34-46 week delivery), and VRU Customized Systems (customized solutions for complex facilities including offshore applications). All systems are based on activated carbon adsorption technology for recovery of gasoline, crude oil and VOC vapours. The company also provides Loading, Unloading, Blending and Additive Skids through Diamond Key, and comprehensive Service & Maintenance agreements covering all VRU brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VRU Depot Series Standardized, pre-engineered vapour recovery units designed for truck loading terminals and smaller depot operations, featuring 20-26 week delivery, 10-year carbon guarantee, above 98% availability, rotary vane vacuum pumps, and NMVOC emissions below 50 mg.HC/Nm3.
• VRU Terminal Series Pre-engineered vapour recovery units for larger depots and marine terminals with high to very high loading rates, built on Cool Sorption's proprietary 3-bed CVA design for small footprint, container-sized modules, low O&M cost, ultra-high flow flexibility, and 34-46 week delivery.
• VRU Customized Systems Highly customized VRU systems for large and/or complex facilities, including onshore and offshore hydrocarbon handling systems, brownfield project revamps, and odor/chemical removal solutions; Cool Sorption positions itself as the only technology company to provide offshore and complex VRU solutions.
• Service & Maintenance Agreements Comprehensive after-sales service covering start-up, commissioning, capacity testing, training, preventive maintenance, 24-hour emergency hotline, online diagnostics, availability reporting, and service packages (ECO-mode energy optimization, SCADA/PLC upgrades, instrument replacement, pump renovation, active carbon replacement) for VRUs of any brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• VRU recovery efficiency above 99%
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Diamond KeyminorOthersReferenced as provider of Loading, Unloading, Blending and Additive Skids, linked as a related product offering from Cool Sorption website.

Scale indicators17 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• John Zink (Koch Engineered Solutions): John Zink is a global leader in combustion and emissions control, including vapour recovery units for terminals, storage, and loading operations. Directly competes with Cool Sorption in oil & gas terminal VRUs worldwide with broader product portfolio.
• Borsig: Borsig supplies VOC abatement and recovery systems (including adsorption and membrane-based) for oil, gas, and petrochemical terminals. Overlaps with Cool Sorption on activated-carbon-based VOC capture technology and customer base.
• Cimarron Energy: Cimarron manufactures VRUs, combustors, and flare gas recovery systems for upstream and midstream oil & gas. Closest US-based direct peer in VRU equipment and service for terminal and production applications.
• AEREON: AEREON (formerly NAO and now part of Hexagon) designs vapour recovery and combustion systems for oil & gas terminals. Direct competitor offering VRU, flare, and enclosed combustion equipment to similar terminal customers.
• MegaTECH (MEGTEC): MegaTECH designs industrial air pollution control systems including VOC abatement and vapour recovery for printing, coating, and oil & gas. Adjacent VRU and adsorption competitor with broader industrial footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Energy: Global energy technology and turbomachinery supplier serving oil & gas terminals with rotating equipment, compression, and increasingly low-carbon fuel infrastructure. Overlaps at the customer level (Siemens is also a Cool Sorption customer).
• Atlas Copco Gas and Process: Atlas Copco's Gas and Process division supplies compressors and gas processing solutions including vapour recovery equipment for terminals. Much broader industrial portfolio but addresses overlapping VRU/loading applications.

Emerging players

• SYMEX (Symex Asia): SYMEX manufactures compact vapour recovery units targeting smaller depots and mid-stream operations in Asia. Overlaps with Cool Sorption's Depot Series in smaller-throughput terminal applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cool-sorption
• Facebookfacebook.com/coolsorption

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cool Sorption