Nitrogen gas plays a pivotal role in the beverage industry, known for its inert nature and ability to prevent oxidation and spoilage. In this blog, we address the most frequently asked questions about the role of nitrogen in beverage production and storage.
Where is Nitrogen used in the Beverage Industry?
As the Beverage segment is one of the growing industries, and several operations use nitrogen for different applications due to its inert nature. Some of the applications are listed below:
- Packaging: Nitrogen is used to displace oxygen and moisture inside beverage cans or bottles. This prevents microbial growth and oxidation, thereby increasing shelf life and maintaining flavour. The absence of oxygen ensures the beverage doesn’t develop a foul odour or change in taste due to the growth of microorganisms.
- Purging: Nitrogen is used to purge pipelines, equipment, and vessels before a new production cycle. This removes contaminants, moisture, and residual gases, preventing unwanted reactions. Please refer to our blog titled Application of Nitrogen in Purging for more details.
- Nitrogen-infused beverages: Nitrogen is infused into certain beverages like beers to create a smooth, creamy texture. Nitrogen, either with or without CO₂, contributes toa foamy and creamy texture while also helping in controlling the carbonation. Read more about this in our blog titled (The Role of Nitrogen Generators in Ensuring Beverage Freshness ).
- Blanketing: Used in wine storage, nitrogen blanketing prevents the liquid from reacting with oxygen or airborne contaminants. This is essential for preserving taste and preventing spoilage. This is particularly done in the wine industry to prevent the wine from reacting with oxygen or other contaminants in the air while being stored inside the barrels.
Why is Nitrogen used in the Beverage Industry?
Nitrogen contains very low levels of oxygen and moisture, making it ideal for food and beverage applications. It helps prevent oxidation, microbial growth, and moisture-related degradation. Additionally, nitrogen is the most cost-effective inert gas due to its abundant availability (78% of air).
Apart from Nitrogen, can we use other inert gases in the beverage Industry?
The right answer is yes. Theoretically, inert gases like argon and helium can also be used. The differences lie in the cost of production of these gases.
Cost of production of Nitrogen ~ 100 times < Cost of production of Argon
Cost of production of Nitrogen ~ 1000 times < Cost of production of Helium
Therefore, Nitrogen becomes the best solution. The reason for the low cost of production of nitrogen is the availability of abundant nitrogen (78%) in the atmosphere.
To understand more about the cost of production of nitrogen via PSA nitrogen generators, please read our blog titled Understanding Nitrogen Purity in PSA Nitrogen Generators .
What is the required purity of Nitrogen in the beverage industry?
The purity of nitrogen gas in the Beverage Industry varies between 99.5 to 99.9%, where these purities of nitrogen signify the oxygen content in nitrogen. European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA) sets the benchmarks for nitrogen purity, handling, and storage to ensure it meets the stringent requirements for direct contact with food or beverage via EIGA Document 941 – Nitrogen for Food and Beverage Applications. EIGA states nitrogen purity of 99.5% is ideal for the beverage industry. More on this can be read here (5).
Nitrogen gas purity required in the Beverage Industry
| S. No. | Application | Purity (%) |
| 1 | Blanketing | 95.0 – 99.0 |
| 2 | Purging | 99.0 – 99.5 |
| 3 | Packaging | 99.5 – 99.9 |
| 4 | Nitrogen-infusion | 99.5 – 99.9 |
To get more clarity about the purity of nitrogen gas, please read our blog titled Understanding Nitrogen Purity in PSA Nitrogen Generators .
How much Nitrogen is used in the Beverage Industry?
Nitrogen requirements vary based on the application type and equipment specifications. Always consult the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) before finalising the nitrogen volume needed.
What is the Nitrogen pressure required in the Beverage Industry?
For most beverage operations, nitrogen is used at 2–3 Barg. Here’s a breakdown by use:
Nitrogen gas pressure required in the beverage Industry
| Sr. No. | Application | Pressure (Barg) |
| 1 | Blanketing | 0.2 – 2 |
| 2 | Purging | 0.2 – 2 |
| 3 | Packaging | 2 – 3 |
What are the sources of nitrogen in the Beverage Industry?
Traditionally, liquid nitrogen tanks or nitrogen cylinders were used as a source of nitrogen gas in Beverage Industry applications, but with advancements in technology. Nowadays, nitrogen is produced by on-site nitrogen generators, which separate nitrogen from atmospheric air.
The cost of nitrogen reduces drastically when produced via a PSA nitrogen generator. The table below shows the cost of Nitrogen from different sources:
| Sr. No. | Source | Cost (₹/Nm³) |
| 1 | Nitrogen Cylinders | 75-100 |
| 2 | Liquid Nitrogen | 15-30 |
| 3 | PSA Nitrogen Generator | 2.65 |
To read more about the cost of different sources of nitrogen, please read our blog titled How to calculate the ROI (Return on Investment) of PSA Nitrogen Generator compared to Liquid Nitrogen or Nitrogen Cylinders .
Can High-Purity Nitrogen (99.99% or 99.999%) be used in the Beverage Industry?
Yes, it can be used, but it’s not typically required. Most applications only need up to 99.9%. Producing ultra-high purity nitrogen (99.999%) is energy-intensive and expensive. In most cases, 95 to 99.9% nitrogen gas is used in the Beverage Industry. This will cost you around ₹2.6/- per cubic meter when produced via PSA Nitrogen Generator.
The cost of nitrogen production via PSA technology varies significantly as we move from lower to higher purity. This is mainly because producing higher-purity Nitrogen requires more energy (High amount of compressed air).
For example, generating nitrogen at 95% purity requires significantly less power than producing nitrogen at 99.9990% purity, since removing the final traces of oxygen from the gas mixture is an energy-intensive process.
The table below shows how electricity consumption affects the cost of production of nitrogen at different purity levels, assuming the cost of electricity as ₹8/- per unit, as per our blog titled Understanding Nitrogen Purity in PSA Nitrogen Generators :
Table 2: Cost of Nitrogen used in the Beverage Industry
| Nitrogen Purity | Power (kW/Nm³) | Cost (₹/Nm³) |
| 95.0000% | 0.22 | 1.76 |
| 99.0000% | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| 99.9000% | 0.33 | 2.64 |
| 99.9900% | 0.6 | 4.8 |
| 99.9950% | 0.8 | 6.4 |
| 99.9990% | 1.06 | 8.48 |
| 99.9995% | 1.32 | 10.56 |
As the table shows, the power consumption, and consequently, the cost, increases as nitrogen purity rises. For instance, producing nitrogen at 95% purity costs ₹1.76 per Nm³, whereas producing 99.9995% purity nitrogen costs ₹10.56 per Nm³. This significant difference highlights the need to carefully match the nitrogen purity level to the application requirements to optimise costs.
Why PSA Nitrogen Generators are the preferred choice in the Beverage Industry?
Compared to the traditional sources of nitrogen gas like cylinders or liquid tanks, PSA nitrogen generators are far more beneficial in the beverage industry. Below are the benefits of a PSA Nitrogen generator over traditional sources like cylinders or liquid nitrogen:
- Compact: Compact PSA Nitrogen generators are help in saving a lot of space compared to liquid tanks.
- Fully Automatic Systems: As advanced PSA nitrogen generators are fully automatic with auto stop and IDLE features, these systems prove to be a boon in the Beverage Industry applications, as nitrogen usage is not constant and varies with time. PSA nitrogen generators go into IDLE mode during low usage of nitrogen to save energy.
- Nitrogen Production: As Nitrogen is produced on-site in PSA nitrogen generators from compressed air, there is no dependency on 3rd party vendors and logistics for refilling of gas, as in the case of cylinders or liquid tanks.
- Reduction in Carbon Footprint: As nitrogen is produced onsite in PSA nitrogen generators, there is no logistics involved, hence carbon emission is negligible.
- Low cost of Nitrogen: Nitrogen produced by the PSA nitrogen generator is at least 5 times cheaper than other sources.
Conclusion
The beverage industry is rapidly growing, and nitrogen gas plays a critical role in ensuring product quality and shelf life. Its inert properties, cost efficiency, and wide availability make it the most practical choice over other inert gases like argon or helium.
While traditional nitrogen sources remain in use, on-site PSA nitrogen generators provide a more sustainable, cost-effective, and operationally independent solution. Understanding specific nitrogen purity, pressure, and volume needs can help manufacturers optimise processes and reduce costs.
Consult Us
For tailored solutions and cost-efficient nitrogen in the Beverage Industry setups, please schedule a consultation with us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 1800 3010 3394
- Website: www.absstem.com
References
- Absstem Technologies. (2024). Application of Nitrogen in Purging
- Absstem Technologies. (2024). The Role of Nitrogen Generators in Ensuring Beverage Freshness
- Absstem Technologies. (2024). Understanding Nitrogen Purity in PSA Nitrogen Generators
- European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA). (2024). EIGA Document 941 – Nitrogen for Food and Beverage Applications.
- Sahni, Amit. LinkedIn (2024). Food Safety First! Demystifying Food-Grade Nitrogen & EIGA Doc 941
- Absstem Technologies. (2024). How to calculate the ROI (Return on Investment) of PSA Nitrogen Generator compared to Liquid Nitrogen or Nitrogen CylindersReferences
