The overall objective of the CAPTUS project is to demonstrate sustainable and cost-effective pathways to produce high-added value RECs in EIIs by the valorization of their carbon emissions and the integration of renewable energies sources. To this end, different innovative solutions involving CO2 capture and conversion technologies will be developed and implemented in 3 real demonstration sites at TRL7 (Technology-Readiness Levels) (cement, steel and chemical plant), together with a detailed consideration on safety, environmental, societal and business aspects.
The specific goals that will enable the achievement of CAPTUS main objective are presented below:
Specific Objective 1:
To develop and validate bespoke CO2 capture units capable of conditioning the emitted industrial flue gases for their subsequent conversion into high value RECs.
Specific Objective 2: To develop and validate innovative technologies for the conversion of CO2 into valuable liquid RECs by sustainable and efficient processes.
Specific Objective 3:
To develop robust simulation and modelling tools that facilitate the design, optimization and upscaling of CCU technologies in industrial scenarios, identifying and overcoming technical barriers and strongly considering the hybridization with renewable electricity surplus.
Specific Objective 4: To validate the quality of the produced RECs and the feasibility of their upgrading into cleaner and more sustainable fuels that allow carbon footprint and economic savings in the EII sector.
Specific Objective 5:
To establish a roadmap for the implementation of CAPTUS solutions in other industrial realities, tackling technical and non- technical (i.e., regulatory and standardization) barriers.
Specific Objective 6:
To assure a successful exploitation and dissemination of the project, through a strategic and business-oriented commercialization plan, dedicated business models and key stakeholders’ engagement.
To achieve CAPTUS objectives, the consortium has analyzed the state of the art in the technologies, procedures and tools required for the implementation of the solutions to build on existing approaches and achieve a noteworthy progress by the end of the project.
Expected impact
CAPTUS will directly impact in the clean energy transition of EIIs towards a zero net-zero carbon industry, aiming at achieving this objective by 2030. During CAPTUS demonstration campaign over 170 tons of CO2 abatement and ca. 335 MWh of renewable electricity surplus will be valorized and transformed into liquid RECs, instead of being release to the atmosphere or wasted, respectively. In the long term, based just on the potential larger scale implementation of CAPTUS solution in the 3 addressed locations, such an approach would result in avoiding over 15,000 tons of CO2/year and the production of +400 tons/year of RECs. Accordingly, CAPTUS innovations at technical, economical, managerial and social level will represent a great environment to validate how to reduce industrial carbon footprints in combination with the use of renewable surplus to store power in the form of energy carriers.