{"id":160198,"date":"2025-03-24T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T06:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=160198"},"modified":"2025-03-18T10:57:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T09:57:39","slug":"carbyon-the-tno-spin-off-innovating-in-co2-filtration-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/carbyon-the-tno-spin-off-innovating-in-co2-filtration-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbyon: the TNO spin-off innovating in CO2 filtration technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"256\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-1024x256.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-160201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-1024x256.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-300x75.jpg 300w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-150x38.jpg 150w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-768x192.jpg 768w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon-400x100.jpg 400w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2025\/03\/carbyon.jpg 1484w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Carbyon<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>One day as Hans De Neve was working at TNO, he had a brilliant idea for an innovative CO<sub>2<\/sub> filter. With TNO\u2019s support, he founded the cleantech start-up Carbyon, which has since grown into a thriving company. With 50 dedicated employees, Carbyon is already building its first machine. \u2018Our mission is to capture billions of tonnes of CO<sub>2 <\/sub>from the air.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Climate change is a major focal area for TNO, which is working on all kinds of innovations, from the latest solar and wind energy technologies to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/en\/sustainable\/space\/earth-observation-monitoring-our-planet\/tango-satellite-monitoring-greenhouse\/\">satellites that monitor greenhouse gases<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/en\/newsroom\/2024\/02\/esa-dutch-satellite-system-emission\/\">a global emissions atlas<\/a>. What\u2019s more, TNO itself is starting up promising companies that use its own technology to come up with innovative solutions. One of those start-ups is Carbyon, which aims to make CO<sub>2<\/sub> filtration from the air scalable and affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hbc78c18b-b38b-139c-1ae7-e903635e6144\">Traditional filters are far too slow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbyon\u00a0was founded by physicist Hans De Neve, who worked at TNO on solar panels for the European market. In his spare time, he immersed himself in the subject of CO<sub>2<\/sub> capture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018I knew it was possible to extract CO<sub>2<\/sub> from the air using filters,\u2019 says <strong>De Neve<\/strong>. \u2018These filters consist of a carrier with a special layer. They are placed in a machine that blows air through the filters. The CO<sub>2<\/sub> then sticks to the layer, penetrates it, and is retained in the filter. The captured CO<sub>2<\/sub> can be used to make green fuel or stored safely underground.\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>While the technology is promising, the project also had its challenges. For every 1 million air particles, there are only 420 CO<sub>2<\/sub> particles. This means a huge amount of air has to pass through the filter for it to have any meaningful effect. With existing filters, this process was far too slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"BorlabsCookie _brlbs-cb-youtube\"><div class=\"_brlbs-content-blocker\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-embed _brlbs-video-youtube\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_brlbs-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/borlabs-cookie\/assets\/images\/cb-no-thumbnail.png\" alt=\"YouTube\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-caption\"> <p>By loading the video, you agree to YouTube&#8217;s privacy policy.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en&amp;gl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a><\/p> <p><a class=\"_brlbs-btn _brlbs-icon-play-white\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load video<\/a><\/p> <p><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"unblockAll\" value=\"1\" checked> <small>Always unblock YouTube<\/small><\/label><\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><div class=\"borlabs-hide\" data-borlabs-cookie-type=\"content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-id=\"youtube\"><script type=\"text\/template\">PGlmcmFtZSB0aXRsZT0iVGhpcyBpcyBvdXIgdGltZSB8IEZpbHRlcmluZyBDTzIgZnJvbSB0aGUgYWlyIHwgVE5PIiB3aWR0aD0iNTAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjI4MSIgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL3d3dy55b3V0dWJlLW5vY29va2llLmNvbS9lbWJlZC9VZTZJZDdMSkhjTT9mZWF0dXJlPW9lbWJlZCIgZnJhbWVib3JkZXI9IjAiIGFsbG93PSJhY2NlbGVyb21ldGVyOyBhdXRvcGxheTsgY2xpcGJvYXJkLXdyaXRlOyBlbmNyeXB0ZWQtbWVkaWE7IGd5cm9zY29wZTsgcGljdHVyZS1pbi1waWN0dXJlOyB3ZWItc2hhcmUiIHJlZmVycmVycG9saWN5PSJzdHJpY3Qtb3JpZ2luLXdoZW4tY3Jvc3Mtb3JpZ2luIiBhbGxvd2Z1bGxzY3JlZW4+PC9pZnJhbWU+<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"haee9208f-b41b-f23c-b878-038463a2bd04\">Innovation on the back of a failed experiment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When De Neve worked with solar panels at TNO, he dealt with technologies such as atomic layer deposition, which allows material one atom thick to be applied to a carrier. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/publish\/pages\/12630\/hans_1.jpg\" alt=\"hans\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;width:132px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Carbyon<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018My thinking was: if we applied a layer that the CO<sub>2<\/sub> sticks to just as thinly, the CO<sub>2<\/sub> could penetrate the filter much faster. However, that still left the problem of the carrier. To really filter faster, the carrier needed to have a large surface area, so that it would come into contact with a lot of air. For that, you need a very light material, otherwise the filter will be too heavy.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>One day at work, he experimented with amorphous silicon. Although the experiment didn\u2019t work out, it did produce a highly porous material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018Because it was so porous, it was also very light. Suddenly, it occurred to me that this might be good carrier material! And that\u2019s how Carbyon came into being.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018I knew it was possible to extract CO<sub>2<\/sub> from the air using filters. These filters consist of a carrier with a special layer. They are placed in a machine that blows air through the filters.&#8217; &#8211; <strong>Hans De Neve, Founder and CEO Carbyon.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:11px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hb2e5d4c7-469b-499c-afb5-49f830445945\">Experimenting elsewhere while on the payroll<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That same year, in 2018, TNO organised a challenge within the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>De Neve<\/strong>: \u2018You could submit the wildest ideas you ever dreamt of. Some colleagues and I entered with the idea of developing a filter that captures CO<sub>2<\/sub> much more efficiently than existing filters.\u2019 They were one of the three lucky winners, receiving a prize of \u20ac50,000.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>De Neve and his colleagues used the money to carry out some experiments, which produced some interesting findings. Under the Tech Transfer programme and in cooperation with HTXL, the high-tech incubator organisation from Eindhoven, TNO helped De Neve launch a start-up. Thus Carbyon was born, with TNO as a co-shareholder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018TNO offered to continue paying my salary in the initial phase while I got my company off the ground,\u2019 <strong>De Neve<\/strong> says. \u2018This gave me the space I needed to really get going.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h8b95126e-a82e-4505-88d7-2fe245479237\">Filtering 200 times faster<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>De Neve and his colleagues spent more than 3 years refining the filter. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/publish\/pages\/12630\/hans.jpg\" alt=\"hans\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;width:136px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Carbyon<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018We now have a filter that works 200 times faster on CO<sub>2<\/sub> than traditional ones,\u2019 <strong>De Neve<\/strong> enthuses. \u2018It\u2019s cheap to make, so the technology is scalable. What seemed impossible just a few years ago is now right there in front of us.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step for Carbyon is to work more on developing the machines to hold the filters. \u2018Next year, we\u2019ll build the first outdoor machine, which will be installed on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. That will be the first concrete proof that our innovation works.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018We\u2019re the only country in the world with this equipment. If we gain an international foothold and start exporting machinery, it will create new high-productivity jobs and strengthen our position as a country of innovation. &#8211; <strong>Hans De Neve, Founder and CEO Carbyon.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h617350a8-7af3-48aa-9e72-ac4309dfa6e4\">Value for the environment and the economy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018Filtering CO<sub>2<\/sub> from the air is crucial\u2019, <strong>De Neve asserts<\/strong>. \u2018If we don\u2019t act now, the planet will become unliveable. We also need to reduce our current emission levels, of course: we\u2019ve been emitting far too much for the past 150 years. With Carbyon, we\u2019re giving future generations a tool they can use to right our wrongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbyon\u2019s innovation is not only useful in the fight against climate change. It also offers great opportunities for Dutch earning power, as De Neve explains. \u2018We\u2019re the only country in the world with this equipment. If we gain an international foothold and start exporting machinery, it will create new high-productivity jobs and strengthen our position as a country of innovation. Moreover, our innovation can help make our chemical and steel industries more sustainable \u2013 two sectors that are a major part of the Dutch economy, but badly need to reduce CO<sub>2<\/sub> emissions.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hbdcc39d9-2b00-493a-a3f1-06334ef14a0c\">Machines around the world<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbyon has now grown into a company of 50 employees. What does De Neve think the next 10 years have in store? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2018We want to set up production lines quickly and supply our machines to the entire world. We\u2019re in talks with a number of machine builders to see if they can help us scale up the filters and machines. TNO remains a key partner for us at this stage. I see no insurmountable problems: the materials we need are cheap, safe, and widely available. The main thing we need to do now is secure more funding and start building.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Our ultimate mission is to remove billions of tonnes of CO<sub>2<\/sub> from the air to keep our planet liveable. This will take some time, but I\u2019m confident we can do it.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Climate change<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more about TNO&#8217;s impact on climate change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tno.nl\/en\/this-is-our-time\/innovations-climate-change\/\"><strong>This is our time: Innovations to combat climate change<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One day as Hans De Neve was working at TNO, he had a brilliant idea for an innovative CO2 filter. With TNO\u2019s support, he founded the cleantech start-up Carbyon, which has since grown into a thriving company. With 50 dedicated employees, Carbyon is already building its first machine. \u2018Our mission is to capture billions of [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":160202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Hans De Neve founded the cleantech start-up Carbyon, which is already building its first machine to capture billions of tonnes of CO2 from the air","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[10744,25939,10416,12426,25940,5627],"supplier":[25938,2624],"class_list":["post-160198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-carboncapture","tag-carbonfiltration","tag-circulareconomy","tag-climatechange","tag-co2filtration","tag-energy","supplier-carbyon","supplier-tno"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160198"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=160198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}