Due to current high natural gas prices there has been a closure in two of the UK’s fertiliser plants. Food and drinks grade carbon dioxide – CO2 is produced largely as a by-product of the fertiliser sector – is now at a point of significant constraint in the UK. Food and drinks grade CO2 is widely used to produce dry ice to support food transport and in slaughterhouses to stun animals prior to slaughter – something that will be important given the upcoming festive season. CO2 is also used in the carbonated drinks industry. This is the second CO2 supply constraint since the 2018 “Crumpet Crisis”.
Did you know CO2 can be recovered from gas engines and biogas upgraders in a number of ways:
- Catalysts such as the CoDiNOx system – widely used to enrich the air in greenhouses to help tomato growth
- Amine washes such as that deployed in quad generation systems generating electricity, heating, cooling and CO2 recovery with gas engines
- Membranes – able to physically separate renewable methane in biogas (“biomethane or renewable natural gas”) from renewable CO2. Also a net CO2 reducer in the atmosphere
- Various new developing carbon capture utilisation and storage technologies. Variously able to lock CO2 in digestate, combine it with brine to produce calcium carbonate or combine it in a stable aqueous solution for disposal in wastewater.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you with your CO2 supply constraints whilst generating resilient local supplies of electricity and heat – contact us here!
