Closed-Loop System Captures CO2 for Use in Beverage Industry

beverage bottling

by | May 3, 2016

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beverage bottlingCO2 Solutions and Mojonnier Limited have teamed up to capture carbon from the beverage bottling processes — thus preventing CO2 emissions — and then supply this CO2 back to the beverage industry for its carbonation needs.

CO2 Solutions has been working to commercialize its enzyme-enabled carbon capture technology for stationary sources of carbon pollution.

Mojonnier supplies carbonated soft drink, beer and dairy equipment and services to the industry.

Bottlers of carbonated beverages typically have sterilization operations that utilize boiler-generated steam. While these boilers emit CO2 into the atmosphere, bottlers have to purchase CO2 for their beverages from commercial sources. The new closed-loop system allows beverage companies to reuse the boiler-emitted CO2.

While mass marketed on a global scale, carbonated beverages are generally produced locally. This means that each bottler must secure its own CO2 supply — and contend with cost variations as well as supply and quality uncertainties.

CO2 Solutions and Mojonnier say their solution has the added benefit of securing the supply chain for CO2, a critical component in any bottler’s operations.

The new partnership, which the companies say will provide a “lower-cost and environmentally-friendly solution to the carbonated beverage industry for its carbon dioxide needs,” builds on CO2 Solutions’ existing collaboration agreement with GasTran Systems.

GasTran Systems (GTS) provides high-intensity gas-liquid rotating packed bed mass transfer technology. Under the terms of the agreement, CO2 Solutions and GTS will collaborate on bringing to market an advanced carbon capture system, combining CO2 Solutions’ non-toxic enzyme-enabled capture process and GasTran’s rotating packed bed technology.

In January, GTS licensed its technology to Mojonnier and the rotating packed bed mass transfer technology has been integrated with Mojonnier’s beverage equipment business.

Mojonnier and CO2 Solutions will now jointly market a system to supply CO2 to Mojonnier’s clients in the beverage industry.

CO2 Solutions’ Valleyfield, Quebec demonstration project, which ran successfully for 2,500 hours in 2015, yielded beverage-grade CO2 capture results. Tests by CO2 Solutions of the GasTran/Mojonnier technology this past fall confirmed the potential for substantial reductions in equipment size.

Both companies say they anticipate reducing the net carbon capture costs even further. A scaled-up version of the new joint technology will be tested at a third-party test facility in North Dakota over the coming summer.

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