by Sam A. Rushing, Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd. | December 9, 2019 (Jim Lane/biofuelsdigest.com).

Dry Ice Pellets

The CO2 industry expands organically, say 3% annually in some markets. The best way to grow more rapidly in the industry is via the development and implementation of new and unique applications in a wide variety of markets. CO2 applications, of a traditional nature, are tried and true, such as many uses in food processing, beverage carbonation, and a range of industrial uses. On the other hand, new and green applications help sustain the industry.

As for new or newer applications for the product, most of these are of an industrial nature, generally outside of the food and beverage demands. Food and beverage applications often account for 70% of all tonnage consumed in the merchant sector. There are also demands of a captive and sequestration nature, which in my view, are generally categorized outside of the merchant markets, such as large EOR (enhanced oil recovery) usage. There are many conceptual ideas for the application of CO2 in industry, many of which have a green take, a form of sequestering CO2 molecules in everyday products. There are other applications, which are relatively new to the industry, which are being applied and expanded in the markets, such as concrete dosing.

On a long-term basis, given the global interest in reducing carbon emissions, concerns for climate change, and a warming globe, more applications are being developed all the time, many of which have been initially developed in academia, and have not been scaled up, or commercialized. Some of the technologies outlined in this article, may plan to use subsidies in order to make them economically viable, at least for the short term. Of so many technologies which claim to produce a fuel, chemical, plastic; or recover flue gas cheaply, the longer term viable commercial results will speak for themselves. Of the technologies being announced all the time, some will eventually be commercialized, and make their place in the CO2 and sequestration industries; while others will not…