Demonstrating sustainable value creation from industrial CO2 by its thermophilic microbial conversion into acetone

Project Information

PYROCO2

Grant agreement ID: 101037009

DOI

10.3030/101037009

EC signature date 22 September 2021

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Total cost

€ 42 695 408,59

EU contribution

€ 39 999 559,87

Coordinated by

SINTEF AS
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PYROCO2 (Demonstrating sustainable value creation from industrial CO2 by its thermophilic microbial conversion into acetone)

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Summary:
Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 requires a rapid paradigm shift towards the implementations of new, climate positive solutions that can boost the European market. Emerging new solutions for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) have great potential to decarbonize production in the chemical industry, while allowing value creation from parts of its own carbon emissions.
In this context, the PYROCO2 project will demonstrate the scalability and economic viability of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to make climate-positive acetone out of industrial CO2 and renewable electricity derived hydrogen. Core of the technology is an energy-efficient thermophilic microbial bioprocess that is projected towards significant CO2 reductions by 2050. The acetone produced by the PYROCO2 process will be demonstrated as an ideal platform for the catalytic synthesis of a range of chemicals, synthetic fuels, and recyclable polymer materials from CO2, generating a portfolio of viable business cases and pre-developed processes for replication and commercialization.
The PYROCO2 demonstrator plant will be able to produce up to 4,000 tonnes acetone annually from 9,100 tonnes of industrial CO2 and green hydrogen. It will be located at the industrial cluster of Herøya Industrial Park in southern Norway, a strategic placement that guarantees access to industrial CO2 feedstock and green energy at a competitive price and connects several carbon-intensive industries with chemical production through industrial symbiosis.
From here, the PYROCO2 project will represent a key driver for the emergence of CCU Hubs across Europe. Besides the large-scale demonstration and full financial, regulatory, and environmental assessment of the PYROCO2 technology, the project will explore the sphere of public acceptance and market exploitation to further encourage the emergence of the CCU market.

Objectives:
The PYROCO2 project will demonstrate the scalability and economic viability of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to make climate-positive acetone, a platform chemical for many other chemicals, fuel additives, and materials. This will be realized by achieving the following specific objectives:
To design and build a demonstrator-scale chemical production plant based on industrial symbiosis that clearly shows new options for European carbon-intensive industries to create value from CO2 while reducing emissions.
To demonstrate large-scale industrial feasibility of thermophilic microbial gas fermentation to produce up to 4,000 t/a acetone from CO2 and renewable electricity as a platform for its further chemo-catalytic upgrading into a range of other commodity chemicals and materials.
To establish and promote the new chemical production platform as a more sustainable and economically viable alternative to existing fossil-feedstock based production of acetone and derivable products.
To create synergies with a wide spectrum of existing and future projects and initiatives of relevance for the Green Transition in Europe, including existing efforts for the emergence of CCUS hubs, related CCUS solutions, renewable energy, and hydrogen.
To become a key driver for the emergence of CCU Hubs across Europe so that the European chemical industry can lead the ongoing low-carbon and circular economy transitions and ensure that investment and policy needs are met to jointly build a greener and prosperous future in Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the months 19 and 36 of the project, work in and across all of the project's eight work packages has been progressing according to plan.
Work package 1 has continued working on ensuring supply of CO2 and H2 feedstock, as well as other relevant utilities to the PYROCO2 demonstrator plant in qualities and quantities necessary for reaching the project's main aim.
Work package 2 has continued optimizing the PYROCO2 fermentation process and upscale the bioprocess to pre-demo scale. At the end of the current reporting period, the pre-demo scale process system is close to completion and soon ready for operation.
Work package 3 has made further progress in establishing and optimizing chemo-catalytic processes to produce marketable products such as fuel ingredients and commodity chemicals and materials from the CO2 based acetone synthesized by the PYROCO2 bioprocess. Several pilot units have been engineered and installations finalized during the current reporting period.
In work package 4, in the current reporting period, significant progress has been made in designing and engineering the PYROCO2 demonstrator facility, paving the way for its building, commissioning, and operation during the following reporting periods. Rigorous risk mitigation has been applied in order to ensure success in constructing the demonstrator within the project's financial and time constraints, as the basis for validation of scalability of the PYROCO2 technology to produce significant amounts of CO2-based acetone that enables production of liquid fuels and other chemical and material products depending on the requirement of the market.
Work package 5 has continued working on assessing at all relevant levels the PYROCO2 value chain concept with all its process steps and possible variants and alternatives. Aim is to evaluate techno-economic, environmental, and social implications based on an overall design concept developed during the current reporting period.
Work package 6 has also during the current reporting period continuously performed activities aiming at maximizing the impact of the project, ensuring the effective market readiness, dissemination, and exploitation of the project results.
Work package 7 has also during the current reporting period continuously monitored and managed the project's timelines, technical results, resources, and risks, ensuring efficient coordination at all technical, administrative, and financial levels.
Work package 8 has also during the current reporting period followed up on the 'ethics requirements' that the project must comply with.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The expected key outcomes of the PYROCO2 project and the impacts beyond the end of the project include:
Establishment of an industrial scale demonstrator operational by 2026 based on industrial symbiosis that will interconnect multiple sectors, such as medical and technical gas, fertilizer, cement, metallurgy, hydrogen, chemicals, polymers/materials sectors, and synthetic fuels.
Providing significant reduction of industrial CO2 emissions through a highly efficient acetone production process, which is expected to reduce CO2eq emissions by about the 50% compared to conventional acetone production.
Contribution to accelerate the transition of the EU chemical industry towards climate neutrality by providing an innovative, affordable, and clean process for producing platform chemicals, as well as a portfolio of commodity products.
Demonstration of the industrial feasibility and cost effectiveness of the production of up to 4,000 tons per annum of acetone via the PYROCO2 process that will pave the way for the economically sound replication and further upscaling of the PYROCO2 process elsewhere in Europe.
Contribution to the strategy adopted by EU for mitigating the excess of air pollution and therefore preserving the health of EU citizens.

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