BOC Gases Expands Global CO2 Network

Growth in the carbonated soft drink industry as well as food freezing and chilling applications has increased demand for CO₂ around the world. BOC Gases, whose investments over the past 18 months have increased their carbon dioxide capacity by almost 2000 tons-per-day (tpd), is in a key position to satisfy that demand.

"As our customers continue to expand into emerging markets around the world, we have installed plants to collect, purify and liquefy CO₂ to guarantee them an uninterrupted supply," said Bill Baker, BOC Gases' director of Food Marketing. "Our increase in capacity over the past 18 months is evenly split between the U.S. and international markets."

BOC Gases has installed 10 plants in China with a combined capacity of 300 tpd, and a large plant in Thailand able to produce more than 300 tpd. Other investments have been made in Indonesia, South Africa, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile. In addition, BOC commissioned a 600 tpd facility in Mississippi in June, 1996, and expanded its Lima, Ohio, plant by 350 tpd in November.

BOC Gases provides high-purity CO₂ in cylinders and in bulk liquid, which is stored in tanks at customers' sites.

In addition to the carbonated beverage industry, demand also has risen in the food chilling and freezing industries. Chilling applications include temperature maintenance during transportation, storage and product forming. Carbon dioxide is used extensively for freezing seafood, meat and poultry, particularly in Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) applications.

BOC Gases is the industrial gases business of The BOC Group, an industrial gases, vacuum technologies and distribution services company operating in more than 60 countries.

Edited by Pam Ahlberg