News
The “Top 6” candidates are nominated for the first innovation award “Best CO2 Utilisation 2019”
27.02.2019
http://www.bfab.bio
b.fab has developed a disruptive process technology to efficiently convert CO2, water and renewable energy into value-added chemicals. CO2 and water are abundantly available and therefore it is the starting point to build a sustainable bioeconomy. Via electrochemistry, b.fab convert and store CO2 and H2 (made from water) in liquid form as formate. The formate is the feedstock for the bioprocesses and b.fab uses synthetic biology to design specific pathways and to convert formate into value-added chemicals. b.fab is dedicated to establishing a formate-based bioeconomy in the coming years, and thus, providing an economical and sustainable new way to produce value-added chemicals for various industries. One of the first products will be lactic acid which can be further processed to produce PLA biopolymers. Carbicrete Inc. (Canada): Carbicrete
http://www.carbicrete.com
Carbicrete’s patented process enables the production of cement-free, carbon-negative concrete. Cement is replaced in the concrete mix with ground steel slag and the concrete is cured with CO2 instead of heat and steam. Their concrete has lower material costs (steel slag is less expensive than cement because it is essentially industrial waste) and better mechanical and durability properties (can withstand more freeze/thaw cycles and have up to 30 % higher compressive strength) than cement-based concrete. A standard-size 18 kg concrete masonry unit (CMU) made using this process captures 1 kg of CO2 (2 kg of emissions are also avoided for every block produced). Adoption of this technology by a plant producing 25,000 CMUs per day would result in the use of 25,000 kg of captured CO2 per day. CCm Technologies Ltd. (United Kingdom): CCm Growth
http://www.ccmtechnologies.co.uk
CCm fertiliser production systems combine captured carbon dioxide with waste resources to produce a range of nitrogen-based biogenic fertilisers for agriculture and horticultural applications. CCm Growth has had five years of trials on agricultural land for a range of commodity crops. Trials were compared with industry standard, carbon intensive fertilisers. Results have shown growth yields of crops to be the same and in some cases better with CCm Growth product. Early soil trials show that CCm growth makes a significant impact on soil health; improved water retention, improved pH levels and increased families of microorganisms to name just a few benefits. 50 CCm Growth systems would save 2.3mT of CO2 per annum. CCm Growth will contribute to a circular economy and to achieving future carbon reduction targets. Gensoric GmbH (Germany): willpower energy®
http://www.willpower-energy.eu
With the willpower energy project, the company Gensoric wants to make private homeowners completely independent of conventional fuel like natural gas or heating oil. For the first time, the developed system can produce your own fuel, in form of methanol, locally from CO2 in order to have enough energy for hot water and heating supply. This technology, in combination with renewable electricity systems installed at your house, allows for complete self-sufficiency. At the same time, willpower energy can be considered a seasonal storage. If more energy is generated than is consumed in the summer, it can store this energy into the winter. So, it can be used when it is most needed. Under mild conditions (room temperature / low pressure) with relatively simple process technology, this can also take place in a non-industrial environment and private households. LanzaTech (United States): Isopropanol and acetone
http://www.lanzatech.com
LanzaTech have developed a process for direct CO2 capture and utilisation in valuable chemical intermediates. This combines reduction of CO2 to CO via zero carbon electrolysis with their CO fermentation capability. Chemical products, in this case acetone and isopropanol (IPA), are used in durable materials such as acrylic and polypropylene plastics, respectively. Given the longevity of these materials in the environment, this process valorises CO2 while also sequestering it into materials. The process is unique as it enables 100 % conversion of CO2 into products, which is not easily achieved in chemo-catalytic or biocatalytic processes. Nordic Blue Crude AS (Norway): Nordic Blue Crude
http://www.nordicbluecrude.no
The Nordic Blue Crude AS (NBC) business plan is to produce synthetic crude from renewable power, water and CO2. The product is named Blue Crude and consists of high value wax for use in the cosmetics industry, middle distillate usable as high performance and quality diesel and kerosene and naphtha, refine-able to gasoline. NBC has an exclusive license agreement with Sunfire AG for the use of their technology in Scandinavia, and agreements for localisation of a production unit at Herøya, Norway’s largest industrial park. NBC has secured an off-take agreement for their entire production for different clients. Nordic Blue Crude AS has experienced management and board. They claim a sustainable competitive advantage with securing favourably priced renewable power and operating at a site with all industrial infrastructure. Source: nova-Institut GmbH, press release, 27.02.2019