New Innovation Award for the "Best CO2 Utilisation 2019“!
The “Top 6” candidates in detail:
b.fab GmbH (Germany): Process for Formate Bioeconomy
b.fab has developed a disruptive process technology to efficiently convert CO2, water and renewable energy into value-added chemicals. CO2 and water are abundantly available and therefore it is the starting point to build a sustainable bioeconomy. Via electrochemistry, b.fab convert and store CO2 and H2 (made from water) in liquid form as formate. The formate is the feedstock for the bioprocesses and b.fab uses synthetic biology to design specific pathways and to convert formate into value-added chemicals. b.fab is dedicated to establishing a formate-based bioeconomy in the coming years, and thus, providing an economical and sustainable new way to produce value-added chemicals for various industries. One of the first products will be lactic acid which can be further processed to produce PLA biopolymers.
Carbicrete Inc. (Canada): Carbicrete
Carbicrete’s patented process enables the production of cement-free, carbon-negative concrete. Cement is replaced in the concrete mix with ground steel slag and the concrete is cured with CO2 instead of heat and steam. Their concrete has lower material costs (steel slag is less expensive than cement because it is essentially industrial waste) and better mechanical and durability properties (can withstand more freeze/thaw cycles and have up to 30 % higher compressive strength) than cement-based concrete. A standard-size 18 kg concrete masonry unit (CMU) made using this process captures 1 kg of CO2 (2 kg of emissions are also avoided for every block produced). Adoption of this technology by a plant producing 25,000 CMUs per day would result in the use of 25,000 kg of captured CO2 per day.
CCm Technologies Ltd. (United Kingdom): CCm Growth
CCm fertiliser production systems combine captured carbon dioxide with waste resources to produce a range of nitrogen-based biogenic fertilisers for agriculture and horticultural applications. CCm Growth has had five years of trials on agricultural land for a range of commodity crops. Trials were compared with industry standard, carbon intensive fertilisers. Results have shown growth yields of crops to be the same and in some cases better with CCm Growth product. Early soil trials show that CCm growth makes a significant impact on soil health; improved water retention, improved pH levels and increased families of microorganisms to name just a few benefits. 50 CCm Growth systems would save 2.3mT of CO2 per annum. CCm Growth will contribute to a circular economy and to achieving future carbon reduction targets.
Gensoric GmbH (Germany): willpower energy®
With the willpower energy project, the company Gensoric wants to make private homeowners completely independent of conventional fuel like natural gas or heating oil. For the first time, the developed system can produce your own fuel, in form of methanol, locally from CO2 in order to have enough energy for hot water and heating supply. This technology, in combination with renewable electricity systems installed at your house, allows for complete self-sufficiency. At the same time, willpower energy can be considered a seasonal storage. If more energy is generated than is consumed in the summer, it can store this energy into the winter. So, it can be used when it is most needed. Under mild conditions (room temperature / low pressure) with relatively simple process technology, this can also take place in a non-industrial environment and private households.
LanzaTech (United States): Isopropanol and acetone
LanzaTech have developed a process for direct CO2 capture and utilisation in valuable chemical intermediates. This combines reduction of CO2 to CO via zero carbon electrolysis with their CO fermentation capability. Chemical products, in this case acetone and isopropanol (IPA), are used in durable materials such as acrylic and polypropylene plastics, respectively. Given the longevity of these materials in the environment, this process valorises CO2 while also sequestering it into materials. The process is unique as it enables 100 % conversion of CO2 into products, which is not easily achieved in chemo-catalytic or biocatalytic processes.
Nordic Blue Crude AS (Norway): Nordic Blue Crude
The Nordic Blue Crude AS (NBC) business plan is to produce synthetic crude from renewable power, water and CO2. The product is named Blue Crude and consists of high value wax for use in the cosmetics industry, middle distillate usable as high performance and quality diesel and kerosene and naphtha, refine-able to gasoline. NBC has an exclusive license agreement with Sunfire AG for the use of their technology in Scandinavia, and agreements for localisation of a production unit at Herøya, Norway’s largest industrial park. NBC has secured an off-take agreement for their entire production for different clients. Nordic Blue Crude AS has experienced management and board. They claim a sustainable competitive advantage with securing favourably priced renewable power and operating at a site with all industrial infrastructure.
For the first time nova-Institute and Covestro will grant the Innovation Award for the "Best CO2 Utilisation 2019” at the conference “7th Conference on Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemistry and Polymers“ (20–21 March 2019, Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany) to the young, innovative CCU industry for finding suitable applications and markets for CO2-based products and technologies.
Deadline: Producers and inventors of innovative CO2-based products and technologies are invited to hand in their application by 4 February 2019.
The Innovation Award for the "Best CO2 Utilisation 2019” is sponsored by Covestro.
Procedure
First stage: From now by 4 February 2019
Producers and inventors of innovative CO2-based materials are invited to hand in a completed application form (closed since 4th February!) of the product in English including printable digital pictures (300 dpi), which are free of use in our subsequent media publicity. The documents should explain the particular aspects of the innovation and when it was launched on the market. It is also necessary to submit a sample of the product (or a small material sample if the product is too unhandy).
Second stage: Mid of February
A jury consisting of representatives of the nova-Institute and the advisory board of the conference will nominate the outstanding “Top 6” applicants prior to the conference. After the jury has selected the “Top 6” candidates, their application documents will be made available for download from the conference website to give a first glimpse of the innovations for our audience and other interested individuals.
Third stage: At the conference (20 March 2019)
At the first day of the conference (on 20 March 2019) each one of the six companies will introduce its innovation in a short 10-minute presentation for which the “Top 6” candidates will be supported by the award sponsor Covestro with a professional coaching. Following the presentations, the audience will choose the three winners, who will be awarded at the Innovation Award Ceremony (likewise on 20 March 2019, in the evening). The “Top 6” also will present their innovations in a shared exhibition space provided by the nova-Institute. Additionally, there is the option to book your own exhibition space (for information see here).
Please note that it is obligatory for the chosen “Top 6” candidates to be physically present on 20 March 2019 at the event in Cologne in order to present their product to our audience. Each “Top 6” candidate will get one free 2-day ticket and further tickets at a discount rate.
Contact
Dr. Pia Skoczinski
nova-Institut GmbH
Chemiepark Knapsack
Industriestr. 300
50354 Hürth, Germany
[email protected]
Telefon: +49 (0)2233 - 48 14 56