Air Liquide Industrial US LP has commissioned a new 450 t/d carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in Tulare County, California, bringing to three the number of carbon dioxide liquefaction facilities it owns and operates in the state.

The new state-of-the-art facility captures CO2 emissions from an ethanol plant owned by Calgren Renewable Fuels, then purifies and liquefies it to meet the specifications of the diverse food, beverage and manufacturing industries in the region.

Liquid carbon dioxide provides manufacturers the benefit of quickly freezing and preserving their products and also helps maintain safe temperatures that improve quality in certain manufacturing processes, the US subsidiary of the French gases producer explains.

Air Liquide owns and operates 11 other carbon dioxide liquefaction facilities in the US, all of which have received the Food Safety System Certification 22000 ("FSSC 22000"), an internationally recognized standard for food safety systems.

The plants are located in Delaware City, Delaware; Martinez, California; Sioux City, Iowa; Wood River, Illinois; Washington, Indiana; Wilmington, California; and, Donaldsonville, Louisiana.