ASCO supplies 2 t/h CO₂ recovery technology to Coca-Cola supplier Messer BH Gas

As a subsidiary of the international gas company Messer Group, Messer BH Gas supplies a wide range of industrial gases to countless customers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ASCO KOHLENSÄURE AG, also a Messer subsidiary, specialises in the recovery of carbon dioxide from a wide variety of sources. It was therefore a fortunate coincidence that Messer BH Gas and ASCO joined forces to pursue the ambitious goal of becoming the exclusive CO₂ supplier to Coca-Cola in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to be able to supply the required quantities of high-quality CO₂, Messer BH Gas invested in a modern ASCO CO₂ recovery plant. In this case, the raw CO₂ gas is extracted from a geothermal source. To do this, a borehole up to 500 m deep is drilled into the ground. This allows both 38°C thermal water and a high proportion of CO₂ gas to escape into the open air. A separator is located directly at the borehole outlet to separate the gas from the thermal water. The raw gas is then transported via a 200-metre-long pipeline to the ASCO CO₂ recovery plant. In a series of purification steps, the CO₂ is stripped of impurities such as sulphur compounds and various hydrocarbons, and is fully recovered and processed. In the case of Messer BH Gas, the processed CO₂ fully complies with ISBT specifications as well as the high purity standards of the Coca-Cola Company, which are regularly monitored by an independent laboratory. Whilst the recycled CO₂ is supplied to Coca-Cola, amongst others, to be used in beverage production, the surplus thermal water generated during drilling is reused in agriculture.

ASCO Managing Director Marco Pellegrino is proud that Messer BH Gas has chosen ASCO as its partner for the implementation of this major project and understands the reasons: “In the complex field of CO₂ recovery, we are able to meet the economic and environmental requirements of our customers with innovative plant solutions. Thanks to our ASCO CO₂ recovery plant, Messer BH Gas can meet the Coca-Cola Company’s strict CO_{2 delivery} deadlines and, as a bonus, the company is improving its _carbon footprint.”
In addition to CO₂ recovery from geothermal sources, biogas, and ethanol or methane fermentation, ASCO is also a specialist in the field of CO₂ flue gas recovery and CO₂ recovery from waste products containing highly concentrated carbon dioxide. For ASCO, CO₂ recovery options and environmental approaches are always closely linked, “because in this day and age, no one can deny the importance of sustainability,” concluded Pellegrino.

The delivery and commissioning of the ASCO plant system took place back in autumn 2017.