Renewable chemistry and technology company Avantium has been awarded a €3 million grant by the EU Horizon Europe programme to demonstrate the electrochemical conversion of CO2 into high-value chemicals and consumer products.
Credit: Avantium
Credit: Avantium
Beginning in June 2022, the four-year research and development programme, WaterProof, aims to demonstrate the full value chain of a closed carbon cycle. Avantium's part in the programme is to convert CO2 from wastewater purification and waste incineration into formic acid using catalytic electrochemistry.
Read more: EU beefs up dangerous chemicals laws to protect workers
This formic acid is then used to make consumer products such as a pesticide in animal feed, in wart removal, as a preservative, and in household descalers.
The ultimate aim of the project is to demonstrate that competitive and profitable business opportunities can be created by converting carbon dioxide into value-added products.
Avantium is one of the leading companies in the development of technologies for the production of chemicals based on sustainable carbon feedstocks, such as carbon from plants or carbon sequestered from the air.
The company's Volta platform uses electrochemistry to convert CO2 to chemical building blocks such as formic acid, as well as oxalic acid and glycolic acid, the latter of which are key parts of polyesters and other materials used to produce carbon-negative plastics.
In addition to Avantium, the WaterProof consortium consists of eleven other companies and institutes including Spain's Funditec and Tecnalia; the Netherlands' Stichting Waternet; HVC and Frames Renewable Energy Solutions; Belgium's Ecover; Germany's Nova Institut, Coatema and Izes; Iceland's Nordic Fish Leather; and CTA of Columbia University.
The consortium has received a total of €9.2 million in EU Horizon Europe grants.
Read more: The Great Detox: EU plans largest ban of toxic chemicals ever
Annelie Jongerius, senior scientist at Avantium and scientific coordinator of WaterProof, said: "We are pleased with the EU Horizon Europe grant for the WaterProof programme, allowing us to showcase the added value of electrochemical conversion of CO2 into carbon-negative ingredients and materials.
"Electrochemistry has the potential to use CO2 as a feedstock for the sustainable production of chemicals and materials and this is seen as a ’game-changer’ for the chemical industry. Leading the WaterProof programme is a fantastic opportunity for us to work with like-minded organisations towards a fossil-free future."
Back to Homepage
Back to Chemicals & Biochemicals