Electrified process turns CO2 and biochar into industrial products

A novel electrified thermochemical process developed by Reduciner Oy (Espoo, Finland) utilizes captured CO2 and biochar to produce carbon monoxide and activated carbon. This process, which can significantly enhance the economics of CO2 conversion, is powered by the Reverse Boudouard reaction. The technology employs a proprietary reactor akin to an electrically heated rotary kiln, achieving over 90% conversion efficiency from CO2 to CO-rich syngas in trials.

The process inputs, CO2 and biochar, can be sourced from waste streams, and the reactor can be powered by renewable energy, offering a potentially carbon-neutral pathway. The resulting CO can serve as a fuel gas for industrial processes or as a feedstock for synthetic hydrocarbons, while the activated carbon has applications in water treatment, metals recovery, and air purification.

Eemeli Tsupari, Reduciner's chief technology officer and co-founder, notes the flexibility of the process, which can utilize diluted CO2, such as flue gas from industrial processes. The biochar feedstock primarily comes from forestry industry sidestreams like bark and sawdust, although other biogenic carbon sources have been tested.

Following successful bench-scale demonstrations, Reduciner plans to build a pilot plant, supported by a €3.6-million funding round. A full industrial-scale plant is also planned, targeting industries such as cement, lime, steel, and pulp and paper, which are challenging to decarbonize.

Johanna Grönroos, CEO and co-founder of Reduciner, highlights the potential for collaboration with industries like cement and metals, where captured CO2 can be converted and used as fuel, replacing fossil fuels. As the synthetic hydrocarbon market grows, Reduciner aims to supply CO as a raw material for these processes.