Transforming industrial CO₂ waste into valuable feedstock

18. December 2024

A EU-funded project will promote CO₂ capture and improve economic sustainability by converting waste CO₂ to value added products.

Converting industrial CO₂ waste streams into feedstock in an economical and energy-efficient manner is essential for sectors to meet EU climate targets and boost their competitiveness. Many production processes still rely heavily on fossil energy carriers and non-renewable raw materials. The carbon footprint of products derived from these resources can be reduced through Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU). Additionally, electrifying conversion processes and integrating renewable energy sources can significantly lower CO₂ emissions and energy consumption across sectors.

A building block in the EU’s Twin Transition

Launching in January 2025, ICO2NIC (Innovative electrochemical CO₂ Conversion to Versatile Feedstock) is an EU-funded project within the Process4Planet partnership of the Horizon program. The ICO2NIC strategy focuses on promoting CO₂ capture and electrochemical conversion to transform industrial CO₂ waste into valuable feedstock, with the goal of reducing energy consumption, cutting CO₂ emissions and enhancing economic sustainability.

The project aims to capture and valorise waste CO₂, making CCU economically viable, paving the way for a substantial reduction in global emissions.

ICO2NIC will combine advancements in CO₂ capture technology based on polymer membranes with a new gas diffusion electrochemical cell to convert CO₂ into formic acid. This formic acid will then be processed through biochemical methods to produce high-value goods and materials. ICO2NIC will create opportunities for substantial long-term CO₂ capture in both the EU refinery sector and consortium partner TUPRAS' refineries, supporting decarbonisation efforts.

– We are excited to launch the ICO2NIC project, which will transform industrial CO₂ waste into valuable resources, advancing both sustainability and competitiveness. By integrating renewable energy and innovative technologies, we aim to make carbon capture and utilisation economically viable, significantly reducing emissions while creating high-value products. This project is a crucial step toward achieving the EU’s climate goals and fostering a more sustainable industrial future," says project coordinator, Bernd Wittgens.

About the ICO2NIC project

The ICO2NIC consortium will be led by SINTEF and will establish a comprehensive value chain, from the CO₂ emitter, on-site demonstrator and executor (TUPRAS) to the end consumers (TUPRAS and Procter & Gamble). The process consists of carbon collection and purification (Cool Planet Technologies) and then electrochemical conversion to formic acid (Avantium)this is followed by bioconversion and up-grading (b.fab and NoPalm Ingredients) and scaling up the fermentation process (BBEPP) to Microbial oils. These oils and their chemical derivatives will be evaluated by Procter & Gamble and by TUPRAS as a feedstock for the Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) process in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. This industrial model could provide a viable economic framework for all stakeholders, even without external financial support, and will be validated through the project’s implementation.

By integrating renewable energy systems with digital monitoring and control technologies (Idener), leading Research and Technology Organisations will validate the concept's cost-effectiveness, environmental performance, and scalability through the development of a strong Technical and Economic Assessment and process design (SINTEF) and Life Cycle Assessment (TNO). The communication and dissemination of ICO2NIC will be led by the European association CO₂ Value Europe, ensuring that the project's findings reach a wide audience and contribute to global efforts in sustainable industrial innovation.