“This membrane technology aims to solve CO2 emissions that cannot be tackled by other means”
TECNALIA is developing a membrane-based technology to capture CO2, which reduces energy consumption
It is a proposal to advance the solution for CO2 emissions that cannot be tackled by other means and which is ready to be integrated into industrial production processes.
Advantages over other alternatives
This membrane-based mixed matrix separation technology has several advantages over available alternatives:
- It is a modular and compact technology that can be applied at any scale. As a result, it takes up much less space. This is very important in the capture of CO2 due to the immense amount of gases generated in industry, and the limited space available next to the production processes.
- It also has environmental advantages. Compared to amine adsorption, no toxic residues are generated, as membrane technology does not use hazardous chemicals in its operation phase.
- Membrane technology consumes less energy because it is a continuous process and does not require temperature for desorption. This translates into a CO2 capture cost at levels that may be attractive for industrial use.
- The materials (polymers) currently used in membranes have intrinsic limitations in terms of permeability and selectivity. TECNALIA's proposal is based on the creation of mixed matrix membranes, embedding COFs (Covalent Organic Frameworks) in the polymer to obtain a synergistic effect.
Expected benefits
TECNALIA has been working on the development of membranes and materials for the capture of CO2 for more than 10 years, linking several projects at a European level. A key moment has been reached to make the leap to a marketable product. For this reason, it has sought support from the All4Zero industrial technological innovation hub, backed by Arcelor Mittal, Holcim España, Iberia and Repsol.
This technology is expected to be key to the creation of new businesses based on the decarbonisation of the main industrial sectors. Furthermore, new highly qualified jobs would be indirectly generated.
Proposal selected by the for All4Zero industrial technological innovation hub
This technological proposal has been selected by the All4Zero industrial technological innovation hub to address the major challenges of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of industry.
This project addresses the first challenge launched by All4Zero in an open call, related to efficient carbon capture and emissions reduction. It seeks to identify disruptive technologies to move towards zero net emissions by 2050.
