In breweries, production-related CO2 emissions account for more than 20 % of greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 is used in breweries as a flushing and pressurization gas, e.g., it is used for the flushing out of pipes, pressure- and storage tanks, or under pressure for the recirculation of liquids. CO2 is also produced during the fermentation process. Large breweries recycle this CO2 by means of conventional »gas scrubbing« systems. Since this involves high investment- and operational costs, however, these systems are too cost-intensive for small and medium-sized breweries. In the smaller plants, CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
New process: Adsorptive recovery
A project consortium made up of the KASPAR SCHULZ Brauereimaschinenfabrik & Apparatebauanstalt e. K., of Bamberg, Germany, the Lehrstuhl für Umweltgerechte Produktionstechnik of the Universität Bayreuth and the company Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH of Bayreuth, Germany, is now developing a new process with the goal of making the recovery of CO2 economical for small and medium-sized breweries as well, and thus reducing production-related CO2 emissions by some 90 %: with the help of new equipment technology, the CO2 is to be adsorptively bound and subsequently used as process gas. Following the process development and process validation through preliminary testing on a laboratory scale, practical tests will follow with a pilot system on the premises of one of the project partners, the brewery Neumarkter Lammsbräu Gebr. Ehrnsperger KG, of Neumarkt, Germany. Through the use of the new process, 348 tons of CO2 can be recovered at the brewery Neumarkter Lammsbräu alone each year. In the medium term, the adsorptive CO2 recovery could become a key technology for mediumsized breweries.
Project implementation:
KASPAR SCHULZ
Brauereimaschinenfabrik & Apparatebauanstalt e. K.
info@kaspar-schulz.de
www.kaspar-schulz.de
Cooperation partner:
Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth,
www.uni-bayreuth.de
Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, Bayreuth,
www.nmbgmbh.de
Neumarkter Lammsbräu Gebr. Ehrnsperger KG, Neumarkt
www.lammsbraeu.de
AZ 32695
