en.Wedoany.com Reported - Sintef, the Norwegian research institute, is constructing a pilot-scale facility at its process technology center in Tiller, aiming to convert captured carbon dioxide into acetone using gas fermentation technology. The facility is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2026.
As part of the EU-funded PYROCO2 project, the pilot facility is designed to convert CO2 and green hydrogen into acetone, which can then be further processed into other industrial chemicals. According to the company, this technology platform is currently the only process route that directly produces acetone from CO2 using gas fermentation.
At its design capacity, the facility will process approximately 700 metric tons (about 772 US tons) of industrial CO2 annually, along with hydrogen produced using renewable energy, aiming to produce up to 300 metric tons (about 331 US tons) of acetone. The process utilizes bacteria in bioreactors to convert CO2 and hydrogen into acetone. The required hydrogen is supplied by an on-site electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity. U.S. company Power to Hydrogen will provide the electrolysis system, scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Sintef stated that the pilot facility will also generate research data to support further scale-up of the technology at industrial sites such as the Herøya Industrial Park and other European industrial clusters. The institute's long-term goal is to achieve emission reductions of up to 17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2050.
"By converting CO2 into valuable products, industry can meet increasingly stringent climate requirements while maintaining competitiveness and contributing to a sustainable circular bioeconomy," said Alexander Wentzel, Chief Scientist at Sintef, in a statement.
Duncan Akporiaye, Vice President of Research at Sintef, added: "Strong research support is crucial when developing and testing technologies. It enables technologies to mature before industrial deployment."
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