Air Liquide partners with Manildra Group to build Australia's largest biogenic CO₂ plant, strengthening national supply

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Liquide has entered into an agreement with Manildra Group to build a new food and beverage grade carbon dioxide (CO₂) plant in Bomaderry, New South Wales. This facility will capture and purify the biogenic CO₂ produced naturally by Shoalhaven Starches from fermentation of wheat, and supply the purified CO₂ product to Australian industries.

Air Liquide will build, own and operate a new CO₂ plant with a production capacity of over 90,000 tonnes per year of food and beverage grade CO₂, which would make it the largest food and beverage quality CO₂ plant in Australia. Construction of the new Air Liquide facility is planned to commence in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals, and it is anticipated to be operational in 2027.

The biogenic CO₂ produced naturally from fermentation of wheat at Manildra Group's Shoalhaven Starches site provides a biogenic CO₂ product offering to meet the growing needs of the food and beverage industry and other applications.

High quality food and beverage grade CO₂ serves the needs of Australian businesses in a broad range of industries where quality and reliability of supply are a necessity. This includes food, beverages, water treatment, desalination, hospitality, manufacturing and medical industries.

Tim Kehoe, Managing Director of Air Liquide Pacific said: "To address the critical need for increased supply and improved reliability in domestic CO₂, Air Liquide has partnered with Manildra to provide a biogenic CO₂ solution. Air Liquide's new CO₂ plant will boost local CO₂ supply and demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth needs of Australian industries well into the future."

John Honan, Managing Director of Manildra Group said: "Through our partnership with Air Liquide, we're delivering 100% Australian, food-grade CO₂ for essential local industries – part of our broader commitment to closing the loop in our advanced manufacturing process. Together we're building a long-term solution to strengthen local supply chains with high-quality, biogenic CO₂."

SOURCE Air Liquide Australia