Award application

The six award nominees have been published!

The nominated solutions showcase different technical routes for industrial CO₂ use, from electrochemical conversion and integrated capture-and-synthesis processes to direct air capture systems linked with chemical production.

Aerleum (FR) – Direct Carbon Utilisation Technology

Aerleum’s Direct Carbon Utilisation technology enables the direct conversion of atmospheric or industrial CO₂ into valuable commodities such as fuels and chemicals. This integrated and patented technology is designed for scalable industrial deployment, delivering carbon-neutral products at competitive cost.

The first application is e-methanol, a versatile low-carbon fuel and chemical feedstock that can be used primarily in aviation (converted into jet fuel) and in maritime shipping (as a drop-in fuel). Beyond mobility, e-methanol also provides a sustainable building block for the chemical industry, enabling the production of everyday goods with a lower carbon footprint. By targeting hard-to-abate sectors, Aerleum offers a practical, scalable, and high-impact pathway to decarbonisation. https://aerleum.com

CERT Systems (CA) – Air to Chemicals

CERT Systems is producing drop-in, low-carbon materials and fuels such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Through an Air-to-Chemicals process, atmospheric CO₂ is captured and converted into ethylene in a single integrated system. By directly converting the CO₂ captured in solution, CERT avoids the costly regeneration step needed to produce pure CO₂.

CERT’s process generates ethylene from CO₂, a high-value molecule that is primarily used in the production of plastics. However, clean ethylene is a key intermediate for the production of SAF. CERT’s Air-to-Chemicals process enables the production of eSAF with low carbon intensity and low cost of carbon abatement. https://co2cert.com

Cynio (DE) – Specialty Isocyanates made from CO₂

Today, only a few isocyanates are available – mostly standard products like Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or Toluene diisocyanate (TDI). But research and industry urgently need more diversity to drive innovation. This is where CYNiO comes in: a spin-off from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, developing a unique CO₂-based process that enables safe, more sustainable, and flexible production of specialised isocyanates. For this, CYNiO uses CO₂ instead of the highly toxic gas phosgene to produce isocyanates that are currently unavailable and difficult to obtain on the European market. However, they are essential for modifying products of a wide range (e.g. adhesives, coatings, & pharmaceuticals). The goal is to make isocyanates accessible, reliable, and tailored to specific needs, helping innovations to develop faster from idea to impact.
http://www.cynio.net

ICODOS (DE) – Cost-Competitive E-Methanol Production Through Interlinked CO₂ Capture and Methanol Synthesis

ICODOS has developed a globally unique, end-to-end, breakthrough technology for economical e-methanol production, that rests on three pillars: First, a patented hybrid process that merges CO₂ capture and methanol synthesis, cutting energy demand by more than 70 % compared to state-of-the-art alternatives and achieving >95 % CO₂ utilisation. Second, a dynamic operation that allows direct use of the lowest-cost, intermittent solar and wind electricity. And third, a modular plant design with prefabricated, transportable units, compressing project execution time to <3 years. Together, these innovations enable levelised production costs up to 48 % lower compared to today’s available technologies while also enabling to tap into Europe’s vast pool of distributed, stranded biogenic CO₂ point sources. http://www.icodos.com

OCOchem (US) – OCOchem FluX Electrolyzer 400

The OCOchem Carbon FluX Electrolyzer (CFX) 400 electrocatalytically regenerates captured carbon dioxide and water into sustainable formic acid or potassium formate. The CFX 400 employs a stack of 4 large industrial-scale CO₂ electrolyzer cells using OCOchem in-house fabricated Axial FluX Gas Diffusion Electrodes that are each 15,000 cm² in size, over 6 times larger than previously reported. The modular factory-fabricated system was deployed and commissioned in 6 weeks, produces 60 tons/year, operates at 85 % Faradaic Efficiency with a high current density (250 mA/cm²) and has a demonstrated Axial FluX Gas Diffusion Electrode durability of over 1200 hours. The first commercially available carbon-negative formates began shipping in October 2025 to 5 different customers. http://www.ocochem.com

RAPCO2 (IT) – BlueLeaf and eJungle

RAPCO2 brings two indoor Direct Air Capture (DAC) products to the market: the first is BlueLeaf, equivalent to one hectare of forest capable of capturing the CO₂ produced in small shops or offices; the second is eJungle, a sort of jungle 2.0, equivalent to 80 BlueLeaf combined, which instead returns an intrinsically safe chemical product (sodium acetate). The CO₂ captured by BlueLeaf and eJungle is converted into acetate through a patented bioreactor, which is able to regenerate the DAC material at very low energy demand. Acetate collected is then processed in the main plant, which through a ketonisation-hydrogenation steps to isopropyl alcohol (IPA). IPA is a safe, non-toxic eFuel, with a higher calorific value than others (e.g., methanol) and with greater potential for applications. https://www.rapco2.com

Innovation Award “Best CO₂ Utilisation 2026”

The “Best CO₂ Utilisation 2026” innovation award is a prestigious recognition shining a spotlight on groundbreaking technologies and products that effectively utilise CO₂.  

Innovation in CCU is key to transforming CO₂ into a valuable resource for the chemicals and materials sector, supporting a circular carbon economy. By converting CO₂ into renewable carbon products, these technologies reduce dependence on fossil resources and create new business opportunities.

First stage: From now until 6 February 2026

Second stage: 2 March 2026

A jury consisting of representatives of the nova-Institute, the advisory board and sponsors of the conference will nominate the outstanding “Top 6” applicants prior to the conference.
After the jury has selected the “Top 6” candidates among the applicants, their application documents will be made available for download from the conference website to provide our audience and other interested individuals a first glimpse of these innovations.

Third stage: At the conference (28 April 2026)

In a short 10-minute presentation, each of the six companies or institutes will introduce their innovation on the first day of the conference (28 April). Following the presentations, the audience will choose the three winners, who will be presented with their awards at the Innovation Award Ceremony (likewise on 28 April), in the evening.
The “Top 6” 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.

Download: Overview of the past innovation award winners (PDF).