In Sweden, industrial gas supplier Linde (formerly AGA) and ethanol producer Lantmännen Agroetanol are expanding the jointly owned Norlic carbon dioxide (CO2) plant in Norrköping. The expansion will stabilize and build up the CO2 supply and is expected to create both growth opportunities and contribute to savings. The almost SEK 100 million (≈ EUR 9.1 million) investment will increase capacity by another 100 tonnes per day of green CO2 from the adjacent ethanol plant.
A joint venture between Linde (90.1 percent) and Lantmännen Agroetanol (9.9 percent), a subsidiary of the Swedish agricultural cooperative Lantmännen Group, the Norlic plant was inaugurated in September 2014. The plant purifies the green carbon dioxide (CO2) that is formed as a by-product of sustainable bioethanol production at Lantmännen Agroetanol’s ethanol plant in Händelö, Norrköping.
The green CO2 is then supplied to industrial end-users. As a result of this carbon capture and utilization (CCU) combined with the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient processes, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Lantmännen’s bioethanol facility can be reduced by up to 95 percent.
With the expansion of Norlic, we can meet the increasing demand for carbon dioxide from the paper and pulp industry, as well as from the food industry. This is very positive after several years of deficit, said Jan Ellringmann, CEO of Linde Region Europe North.
In connection with the expansion, the shipping terminal in Södertälje will be relocated to Norlic in Norrköping, which improves efficiency and increases storage facilities.
We are very pleased with the cooperation with Linde. Together, we contribute to even more sustainable production of ethanol as the carbon dioxide is utilized and reused. This investment further increases production efficiency, said Lars-Gunnar Edh, CEO of Lantmännen Agroetanol.
