HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG is reducing its CO2 emissions thanks to a state-of-the-art CO2 flue gas recovery system from ASCO

It goes without saying that efficiency and high reliability are the most important prerequisites for cost-effective and competitive production. However, sustainability is also playing a decisive role for an increasing number of companies when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons of an investment in plant equipment. This is where the innovative ASCO CO₂ flue gas recovery system, including ASCOSORB technology, scores highly with its environmentally friendly overall concept for CO₂ recovery. This modern system enables HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG to recycle more than 90 per cent of the CO₂ contained in the flue gas passing through the plant. Dr Karl Gschwend, Managing Director of Strategic Projects, explains: “As one of Switzerland’s market leaders in the development, manufacture and marketing of high-quality food products, environmental protection has always been a major priority for us. The new ASCO recovery plant now offers the optimal solution for more sustainable production and for reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 10–15 per cent annually. This prevents CO₂ emissions and allows them to be put to good use for the company.”

Caption: Through regular maintenance, ASCO engineers ensure the smooth operation of the
modern CO2 flue gas recovery plant.

In the first step of the process, the process gas is captured from the food manufacturer’s steam boiler, cooled and pre-cleaned in the gas scrubber to effectively remove coarse contaminants and sulphur compounds. The CO₂ is then selectively absorbed using a special solution and reabsorbed through the use of thermal energy. In the next stages of the process, the gas is compressed, further purified, dried and liquefied so that it can be stored in tanks. The remainder of the flue gas – mainly water vapour, nitrogen and oxygen – is released back into the atmosphere. With a capacity of 285 kg/h, up to 2,200 tonnes _of CO₂ can thus be recovered profitably and in an environmentally friendly manner each year.

Caption: The process unit shown, consisting of various pumps and heat exchangers, is responsible for heating and cooling the CO₂ gas and the washing solution.

Marco Pellegrino, Managing Director of ASCO KOHLENSÄURE AG, comments on the quality of the recovered CO₂: “When it comes to the hygiene requirements for food, particularly baby food, there is naturally a zero-tolerance policy regarding the purity of _the CO₂. In our case, the recovered carbon dioxide fully meets the specifications of the ISBT as well as the requirements of other food and beverage standards. Furthermore, our CO₂ flue gas recovery plant provides a profitable source of CO₂ for HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG as well as a cost-effective alternative to conventional CO₂ production or the purchase of liquid CO₂.”
The new plant system is equipped with so-called ASCOSORB technology, which, according to Pellegrino, offers the following advantages: “Thanks to this revolutionary technology, there are enormous energy savings and thus significantly reduced operating costs. Consumption is just 0.9 MWth per 1,000 kg _of CO₂ produced. As the specially used ASCOSORB absorbent is largely resistant to oxygen, which typically results from flue gas sources, the plant’s performance and service life can be significantly increased. Furthermore, there is a significantly lower consumption of absorbent, which saves additional costs. In future, thanks to state-of-the-art CO₂ flue gas recovery technologies, such as our ASCOSORB technology, millions of tonnes of environmental toxins could be processed and reused every day, rather than being emitted into the atmosphere – a technological and ecological milestone,” said Pellegrino.

Caption: The CO₂ compressor compresses the CO₂ gas to a pressure of 16 to 20 bar.

A large proportion of the recycled gas is fed back into the food manufacturer’s production plant; among other things, it is used for inerting during the packaging of milk powder. The advantage of inerting with CO₂ lies in the elimination of oxygen. In this way, carbon dioxide gas prevents sensitive products such as baby food powder from oxidising and developing an unappetising off-odour.

Caption: In the foreground is a process unit with heat exchangers and pumps; in the background are absorbers and desorption columns.

To ensure the successful implementation of this project, HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG is collaborating with Messer Schweiz AG, which owns the new ASCO CO₂ flue gas recovery plant. Messer Schweiz AG acquired the plant last year from its subsidiary, ASCO KOHLENSÄURE AG. The premises and combustion processes of HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG at its Sulgen plant serve to house the plant system and provide the CO₂ source for the recovery process. The high-quality CO₂ that does not flow into the production plant of HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG is sold by Messer Schweiz to end customers nationwide.

The ASCO recovery plant was commissioned in August this year and has been operating to the customer’s complete satisfaction ever since. 

Press release

About HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition
The HOCHDORF Group operates in the sectors of Dairy Ingredients, Baby Care and Cereals & Ingredients and employs around 570 people. Its products are sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Its customers include the food industry and the retail sector. The Sulgen plant is a centre of excellence for milk/whey powder and infant nutrition, processing over 230 million litres of milk and 60,000 tonnes of whey annually. www.hochdorf.com

About Messer Switzerland
Messer Switzerland AG is one of Switzerland’s leading industrial gas companies and has been supplying industrial, medical, pharmaceutical and food-grade gases to companies in Switzerland, hospitals and research institutes for over 100 years. These include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium and gas mixtures. The company employs over 100 people and is part of Messer Group GmbH, the world’s largest owner-managed industrial gas company. www.messer.ch