Spain-headed ethanol producer Vertex Bioenergy S.L has signed an agreement with Messer France S.A.S, a subsidiary of global industrial gas major Messer Group GmbH, for the implementation of a second carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery unit at the Vertex Bioenergy ethanol production facility in Lacq, France operated by its subsidiary Bioénergie du Sud-Ouest S.A. With this agreement, a total of 130 000 tonnes per annum of biogenic CO2 will be captured displacing the use of fossil CO2.
Germany-headed Messer Group is the largest family-held business specializing in the production and distribution of industrial gases, and Vertex Bioenergy, a leader in the production of bioethanol with four facilities in Spain and one in France, have renewed and intensified its partnership.
As part of this agreement, Messer France will build and operate a second CO2 recovery unit on the site of Vertex Bioenergy Lacq in the southwest of France near the Spanish border. For its part, Vertex Bioenergy will through its company Bioénergie du Sud-Ouest, supply Messer with a total of 130 000 tonnes of raw CO2 per year for the two recovery units.
This new CO2 recovery unit, which represents an investment of EUR 11.3 million, will be fully automated and remotely controlled. It is part of Messer’s long-term strategy to continue to diversify its CO2 sourcing and to ensure a reliable gas supply.
The start-up, scheduled for July 2022, will allow Messer to double its CO2 production capacities from this site and help the industrial gas company meet the growing needs of its customers in France and support the development of its CO2 activity in northern Spain.
We are very proud of this new project with Messer which strengthens our partnership after ten years of close collaboration. This second unit allows Vertex Bioenergy and Messer France to pursue their sustainable development policy by capturing CO2 of biogenic origin, thus replacing CO2 of fossil origin. Thanks to this project, we will further improve the carbon footprint of our bioethanol by increasing the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to gasoline; already one of the best in France. This will be another major step towards the company’s carbon neutrality, said Antonio José Vallespir de Gregorio, CEO of Vertex Bioenergy.
CO2 a versatile product
Thanks to its specific physical and chemical properties, CO2 is a versatile product used in many fields, including the food and beverage industry, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, and the paper industry.
For example, carbon dioxide makes carbonated drinks sparkle, preserves the quality of food (cryogenic freezing, cooling, packaging in a protective atmosphere), and enriches the atmosphere of greenhouses.
It also regulates the pH of wastewater in an environmentally friendly manner and replaces the use of organic solvents for the extraction of different components. In solid form (aka dry ice), CO2 maintains the temperature during the transport of food or pharmaceutical products.
We are proud to continue our development alongside Vertex Bioenergy, a responsible and reliable partner, with whom we have forged bonds of trust over the past ten years. This large-scale project will strengthen and secure our already diversified CO2 sourcing, thus enabling us to consolidate our position on the market as a major CO2 supplier. Technological solutions that use CO2 provide economic and ecological benefits for many processes and help our customers meet the challenges of their markets, Nicolas Denis, President of Messer France.
