The PYROCO2 project will demonstrate the scalability and economic viability of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to make climate-positive acetone, a platform chemical for many other chemicals, fuel additives, and materials. This will be realized by achieving the following specific objectives:
- To design and build a demonstrator-scale chemical production plant based on industrial symbiosis that clearly shows new options for European carbon-intensive industries to create value from CO2 while reducing emissions.
- To demonstrate large-scale industrial feasibility of thermophilic microbial gas fermentation to produce at least 4,000 t/a acetone from CO2 and renewable electricity as a platform for its further chemo-catalytic upgrading into a range of other commodity chemicals and materials.
- To establish and promote the new chemical production platform as a more sustainable and economically viable alternative to existing fossil-feedstock based production of acetone and derivable products.
- To create synergies with a wide spectrum of existing and future projects and initiatives of relevance for the Green Transition in Europe, including existing efforts for the emergence of CCUS hubs, related CCUS solutions, renewable energy, and hydrogen.
- To become a key driver for the emergence of CCU Hubs across Europe so that the European chemical industry can lead the ongoing low-carbon and circular economy transitions and ensure that investment and policy needs are met to jointly build a greener and prosperous future in Europe.
