Leading gas and engineering company BOC, a Linde company, today announced it will build a multi-million dollar carbon dioxide processing facility in Longford, Victoria as part of a new long-term CO2 supply agreement with the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture. 

The new facility will have the capacity to produce more than 60,000 tonnes of beverage-grade liquid CO2 annually, making it the largest merchant CO2 production facility in the South Pacific. It will significantly increase long-term CO2 reliability and supply for many Australian industries.  

The Gippsland Basin Joint Venture is a 50-50 joint venture between Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd (Esso) and Woodside Energy Pty Ltd. Under the agreement, the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture will capture and send CO2 from its Longford Gas Conditioning Plant directly to BOC’s new facility. 

John Evans, Managing Director of BOC South Pacific said the new facility would increase BOC’s capacity to supply the highest standard of carbon dioxide to customers in Australia and New Zealand. 

“BOC is building new infrastructure to ensure long-term supply security of an essential gas used in many industries including food processing and packaging, beverage, hospitality, desalination, medical, manufacturing and water treatment,” said Mr Evans. 

“This significant investment is part of our commitment to develop local supply partnerships and expand our production capability to meet the future needs of our customers and support growth across the South Pacific Region. 

“With the latest technologies and processes in quality control and efficiency, BOC’s new CO2 facility will exceed internationally recognised food and beverage standards.”

Esso Australia Chairman Dylan Pugh said the agreement demonstrates how Esso is taking a leading role in decarbonising its operations while still providing products that are essential for everyday life. “Through this partnership with BOC, we will transform what is effectively a waste stream into a product of beneficial use for Australian businesses in the food, beverage, hospitality, manufacturing and medical industries,” said Mr Pugh.  

“Esso has a long history of providing reliable energy to Australia, whether it’s powering industry, heating our homes, or fuelling our barbecues, and this partnership will also see Gippsland put the fizz in our drinks.”

Woodside Energy Executive Vice President Marketing and Trading Mark Abbotsford said the new agreement was a great example of how businesses can work together to improve societal and environmental outcomes.

“Beyond providing energy to keep lights on and support industry, this is one of the many ways that Woodside Energy is collaborating to ensure the reliable and sustainable supply of essential products the community needs and enjoys,” said Mr Abbotsford.

“This agreement will support key sectors in our economy, new opportunities for regional jobs as well as our own decarbonisation goals.”

Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ian Bye welcomed BOC to the region in its partnership with Esso, which already has a long-standing relationship with the local community.

“This partnership will result in real positives for our region, not only in the jobs created during construction, but also in the role our community will play in providing this important product to the beverage industry,” said Cr Bye.

Scoping for the project is well underway with construction expected to commence in 2022, subject to regulatory approvals. Around 60 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with the facility expected to be operational in 2024. 

About BOC: 

BOC, a Linde company, supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment across the South Pacific region. Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2021 sales of $31 billion (€26 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet. The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & energy, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing metals and mining. Linde's industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions. For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com.