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ICO2CHEM is an EU Horizon 2020 project. It is funded through SPIRE, the European Public-Private Partnership dedicated to innovation in resource and energy efficiency enabled by the process industries. The project partners are VTT from Finland, INERATEC, Infraserv Höchst, ALTANA, and Provadis Hochschule from Germany, and Politecnico di Torino from Italy.
The focus of the project is on the production of white oils and high molecular weight aliphatic waxes. The technological core of the project consists in the combination of a Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) reactor coupled with an innovative modular Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor.
ICO2CHEM, being part of the call SPIRE08-2017 ‘Utilisation of CO2’, aims at developing a new production concept for converting waste CO2 to value-added chemicals.
Decarbonisation is nowadays a key issue in both political and industrial agendas. Due to the high rate of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere – which are continuously arising all over Europe and worldwide – research is needed to find ways to mitigate such trend and to establish novel production routes to avoid the use of fossil material. The research of ICO2CHEM provides a solution to reconvert waste CO2 into a resource. The major result of this new approach is related to the reduction of the environmental impact at any level: from CO2 mitigation to waste management, following a route that promotes the re-conversion and re-use of CO2 into useful products ready for the market. Waste is thus transformed into consumer products, industrial products, energy, going towards what is called the circular economy.
Within ICO2CHEM, a containerized chemical pilot plant will be installed and operated at the Industrial Park Höchst in Frankfurt, Germany. The pilot plant will convert CO2 from a biogas upgrading plant together with industrial H2, a by-product from a chlor-alkali electrolyzer plant, into highly valuable white oils and high molecular weight aliphatic waxes. The pilot plant consists of innovative RWGS and FT reactors, supplied by INERATEC. The RWGS step will convert CO2 with H2 into a synthesis gas mixture. The following FT reaction step will convert the synthesis gas into the chemical products. The FT reactor will be equipped with a novel Co-based catalyst with enhanced selectivity and lifetime, supplied by VTT. The project partner Altana will utilize the white oils and wax emulsions as a raw material for chemical products, such as coatings and sealant materials, and benchmark the properties of the raw material against the fossil-based material. ICO2CHEM not only foresees at developing a novel CO2 reuse opportunity but also enlightening further knowledge about the entire process as well as the FT catalyst.
ICO2CHEM containerized chemical pilot plant will be installed at Infraserv Höchst industrial park in Frankfurt, Germany.
News will follow.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is one of the leading research and technology organizations in Europe. Our research and innovation services give our partners, both private and public, all over the world a competitive edge. We pave the way for the future by developing new smart technologies, profitable solutions and innovation services.
Our multidisciplinary experts work together to help our customers and partners create new products, production processes, methods, and services. In doing so, we help promote sustainable development, employment and well-being. Our broad network of co-operators means our customers get access to the best knowledge worldwide. We can also offer top of the line research facilities and a wide range of IPR and licensing services.
We create technology for business – for the benefit of society.
Role in ICO2CHEM: As the coordinator of the project, VTT is responsible for the project management. The focus of our research work is on Fischer-Tropsch catalyst development for the mobile synthesis unit and techno-economic and life cycle analysis of the concept.
VTT Research
VTT Catalyst technologies
INERATEC integrates compact chemical plants in containers. Fischer-Tropsch fuels and chemical materials are produced efficiently from various gases.
INERATEC offers compact chemical systems for Gas-to-Liquid, Power-to-Liquid and Power-to-Gas processes. Innovative chemical reactor technology converts gases into liquid Fischer-Tropsch fuels or valuable chemical products. With innovative manufacturing methods and intelligent design, INERATEC has developed a technology platform based on compact microstructured chemical reactors. The compact reactors enable the integration of the entire chemical plant in transportable containers. The compact reactor technology allows dynamic, safe and efficient operation of highly exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Significant competitive advantages arise on a decentralized scale.
Role in ICO2CHEM: INERATEC holds the position of Scientific Project Coordinator. INERATEC is also responsible for supplying innovative RWGS and FT reactors for the project demonstration, as well as taking part in process modelling and concept simulations activities.
Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG is a private company owned by the chemical and pharmaceutical companies Celanese, Clariant, Lyondellbasell and Sanofi. Infraserv Höchst is an industrial park operator and leading industrial services provider for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Infraserv Höchst supplies the process industry with products and services in several key areas: energy and utilities, waste disposal, facility management, environment, safety and health. Infraserv Höchst provides its tenants with a reliable, efficient infrastructure so they can focus on their core business. Infraserv Höchst has a staff of about 1,800 employees and about 130 vocational trainees and a turnover of about M€1,000. ISH is one of the leading companies operating industrial parks for the chemical and pharmaceutical companies and drives competitive, forward looking and sustainable improvements to Industriepark Höchst and its infrastructure.
Role in ICO2CHEM: ISH is responsible for integrating the mobile synthesis unit into the industrial site and delivering CO2, H2 and energy and other utilities in desired amounts and qualities.
The name ALTANA represents a global specialty chemical group. It comprises the holding company ALTANA AG and four operating divisions: BYK Additives & Instruments, ECKART Effect Pigments, ELANTAS Electrical Insulation, and ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants. We have currently 49 operational companies and 50 application and research laboratories worldwide. ALTANA develops, produces and sells high-quality innovative products in the specialty chemicals business. ALTANA offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions with the matching specialty products for coating manufactures, paint and plastic processors, the printing and cosmetic industries, and the electrical and electronic industry. The product range includes additives, special coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins & varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments. Our strength lies in offering differentiated solutions and specialty products that create added value for our customers and our company.
Role in ICO2CHEM: Altana will test the properties of the FT raw material against the benchmark fossil-based materials.
Provadis School of International Management and Technology is a state-approved private university of applied sciences for extra-occupational students, founded in 2000 at Industrial park Höchst. Its research activities are focused on energy, climate, sustainability and digitalisation. Provadis Hochschule has gained experience from several publicly and private funded projects. It is an active partner in the EIT funded Climate-KIC Centre Hessen for several years.
Role in ICO2CHEM: Provadis Hochschule is responsible for coordinating the activities and performing the techno-economic assessment (TEA) and Life cycle assessment (LCA). Provadis Hochschule will support the process operation and the dissemination.
Politecnico di Torino (POLITO) was founded more than150 years ago and is a leading technical university worldwide, with a strong background in technical-scientific teaching, research, and innovation. More than 26,000 students are currently enrolled in POLITO with more than 115 courses available. Staff members are more than 900 (professors and researchers), plus another about 1,000 people between administrative and technical staff. Politecnico di Torino is strictly connected with the enterprise system and has a long experience as a partner in common research projects with other European partners and international centers. Almost 700 research project contracts in collaboration with industries and government-funded institutions provide an income of around 400 million Euros each year.
Role in ICO2CHEM: POLITO is in charge of the kinetic modelling of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process, and contributes to the system energy integration, TEA and LCA activities. POLITO is also the Dissemination Leader of the project. Dissemination activities will be performed through the participation at, and the organization of, different events to show the results produced both from R&D and DEMO activities to different audiences from all relevant market sectors.
For project outcomes and disseminetion, please see the sections below.
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
September 16 2020, FROM INDUSTRIAL CO2 STREAMS TO ADDED VALUE FISCHER-TROPSCH CHEMICALS, 10 - 12 CET, Online Webinar.Can we turn waste CO2 into a useful product? The ICO2CHEM project aims at establishing a pathway to convert waste CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. A series of webinars is going to be released starting from September 2020 to illustrate the main project advances and the science and technology behind ICO2CHEM.
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October 2020, CONVERTING CO2 TO CHEMICALS AND FUELS VIA THE FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS ROUTE: CATALYSTS, TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESS DESIGN, Online Webinar, morning session.
Download the ICO2CHEM Webinar's flyer
The EU Integrated Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET) focuses on decarbonisation by means of actions like Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU) technologies. And here it comes to ICO2CHEM, the EU funded international project aimed to demonstrate on the field a CCU pathway by catalytically converting CO2 into value-added chemicals.
ICO2CHEM is funded through SPIRE, the European Public-Private Partnership, under the call SPIRE08-2017 ‘Utilisation of CO2’.
Please see further information about ICO2CHEM on the CORDIS portal available at cordis.europa.eu/project/id/768543
Project coordinator
Jaana Laatikainen-Luntama
email: jaana.laatikainen-luntama@vtt.fi
Dissemination manager
Andrea Lanzini
email: andrea.lanzini@polito.it
