European Green Deal project PyroCO2 commences

European Green Deal project PyroCO2 will demonstrate large-scale conversion of industrial carbon emissions into value-added chemicals and materials.

The project, conducted by a consortium of 20 leading industrial and research partners from 11 countries, aims to demonstrate a new path to create value from industrial CO2 emissions while improving the sustainability of the chemical industry in Europe. The European Commission funds PyroCO2 with €40m in support of the European Green Deal, the plan to make the EU's economy sustainable and climate-neutral by 2050.

Senior Research Scientist Alexander Wentzel at SINTEF, the independent Norwegian research institute that co-ordinates the project, said: "We are excited to finally start our ambitious work that aims to be a gamechanger for European carbon-intensive industries. These will be able to create valuable products from their CO2 emissions, meeting the need for a lower carbon footprint while maintaining their competitiveness and being a part of the solution for the climate."

The scope of PyroCO2 is to establish and demonstrate an innovative platform for CCU that turns industrial CO2 into chemical building-blocks using a new biotechnological approach. These are then converted further catalytically into a wide range of products, including other value-added chemicals (such as components for paints and plastic), synthetic fuels, as well as recyclable or biodegradable materials normally produced from fossil hydrocarbons.

Thor Kamfjord, Director Sustainable Development, Norner, added: “We are excited to participate in a project that both captures CO2 and creates added value and new products. The European Green Deal boosts the transition towards a more sustainable future, and we choose to be a part of innovation projects like PyroCO2 to contribute to develop the circular economy and a climate-neutral Europe.”

The PyroCO2 factory will be located at the industrial cluster of Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway.