{"id":183383,"date":"2026-11-09T07:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T06:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=183383"},"modified":"2026-11-03T13:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T12:33:17","slug":"ten-years-of-carbon2chem-from-research-to-industrial-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/ten-years-of-carbon2chem-from-research-to-industrial-application\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten years of Carbon2Chem\u00ae: From research to industrial application"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup> approach has already demonstrated its technical viability at pilot scale. The next step is to scale up the developed solutions for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) and create economically viable applications for industry. At the 9th Conference on Sustainable Chemical Conversion in Industry, held on October 13, 2026, in D\u00fcsseldorf, experts from research and industry discussed the role of flexible process concepts, CO\u2082<\/sub> and hydrogen infrastructure, supportive regulatory frameworks, and new business models. At the same time, the event marked an anniversary: The joint research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, has been in existence for ten years. The anniversary provided an opportunity to take stock and look ahead to the next steps toward industrial application.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Carbon2Chem-Konferenz<\/a>
Stefan M\u00fcller from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space emphasizes the transfer of research results into industrial applications.\u00a0\u00a9 Fraunhofer UMSICHT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This focus on implementation was evident from the opening remarks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYou have consistently pursued the concept of technology transfer in this project: your results must now find their way into practical application,\u201d emphasized Stefan M\u00fcller from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This also means making the knowledge gained in the project available for use in other applications. One building block for this is the planned handbook on the ongoing long-term trials . At the same time, Stefan M\u00fcller referred to the funding program launched in September, \u201cInnovative Production of E-Fuels and CCU-Based Precursors \u2013 New Pathways for Climate-Neutral Fuels of the Future,\u201d which is intended to further strengthen CCU research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>: From pilot scale to industrial application<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In his opening remarks , Prof. Robert Schl\u00f6gl, one of the three coordinators of the joint research project, outlined where\u00a0Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/sup>stands after ten years of research. At pilot scale, Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0has demonstrated that methanol synthesis using gases from various sources works reliably, provided they are carefully purified beforehand. Dynamic plant operation can also be used to optimize the economic efficiency of the entire system. Various operating concepts are now being evaluated as technology moves toward industrial scale.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Carbon2Chem-Konferenz<\/a>
After ten years of Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>, Prof. Robert Schl\u00f6gl takes stock and explains the next steps on the path from pilot scale to industrial application. \u00a9 Fraunhofer UMSICHT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The emphasis is shifting from demonstrating technical feasibility to the question of how the research results can be turned into robust, scalable industrial solutions. Extensive operational data and metadata from the project will also be analyzed in the future using artificial intelligence methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Robert Schl\u00f6gl, speed is a decisive factor in the transformation. He emphasized that, to reduce CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emissions as quickly as possible, stable economic incentives for CO2<\/sub>\u00a0avoidance are needed in addition to reliable technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon2Chem\u00ae\u00a0<\/sup>for steel, cement, and alternative carbon sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Prof. G\u00f6rge Deerberg, Carbon2Chem\u00ae\u00a0<\/sup>coordinator at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, explained how the results could be applied in other industries and contexts. He noted that the project\u2019s motivation has evolved in recent years. In addition to climate protection and closed carbon cycles, the resilience of industrial value chains is increasingly becoming a key focus.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Carbon2Chem-Konferenz<\/a>
Dr. Markus Oles (left) and Prof. G\u00f6rge Deerberg, coordinators of the Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0joint research project, focus on the further scaling of the developed solutions. \u00a9 Fraunhofer UMSICHT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

At the heart of this approach is the vision of cross-sector carbon cycles. Such carbon cycles can be established within individual industrial sites, across regional networks of stakeholders, or throughout larger supply systems. In addition to the steel industry, Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup> therefore examines, among other things, the cement industry and waste management, as well as alternative carbon sources such as biogenic residues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project’s research infrastructures constitute the foundation for this work. At the Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>laboratory<\/a> in Oberhausen, analytical methods, materials, catalysts, and process conditions \u2013 among other factors \u2013 are investigated under controlled conditions. At the Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>pilot plant<\/a> in Duisburg, these technologies are tested under industrial conditions: There, real steel mill gases are used in conjunction with gas analysis and treatment, water electrolysis, and methanol synthesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important finding from the work conducted so far: Purified metallurgical gases can be used reliably for methanol synthesis over thousands of operating hours. Challenges include dynamic gas compositions and trace substances that can affect catalysts and reactions. Higher CO\u2082 concentrations in the feed gases also create different process requirements compared with conventional methanol synthesis based on CO and hydrogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For various industrial applications, Carbon2Chem\u00ae\u00a0<\/sup>therefore relies on modular and flexible process concepts: components should be adaptable to the specific feedstock conditions, and processes must be flexible enough to respond to changing operating conditions. Modeling tools support process design, process control, and evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scaling CCU: Economic viability and business models are the key factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One message recurred throughout the conference: technical maturity alone is not enough to enter the market. Matthias Brey, Europe West Sustainability Leader at EY Consulting, summed up the challenge clearly: There is demand for renewable methanol, but various risks are currently preventing large-scale investment decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include particularly the costs and availability of energy and hydrogen, long-term offtake commitments, regulatory requirements and certification, as well as financing and risk sharing. These factors must be considered collectively. Only once the overall risk has been sufficiently reduced sound investment decisions can be made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ecocalor use case presented at the conference illustrates one possible approach. In this process, waste materials are first gasified, and the resulting synthesis gas is then used for methanol production. Because carbon is already contained in the feedstock, this can, among other things, reduce dependence on additional hydrogen supplies. The key is to integrate feedstocks, technology, energy and material flows, and downstream markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This brings another aspect into question, in addition to climate protection: security of supply. Regionally produced methanol could not only contribute to defossilization but also reduce dependence on imported fossil raw materials. In this way, carbon management links environmental goals with issues of industrial resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CO2<\/sub>\u00a0and hydrogen infrastructures as the basis for industrial CCU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For new carbon cycles to emerge, it is not enough for conversion technologies to be available. Infrastructure is also needed to transport CO\u2082 and hydrogen between sources, production sites, consumers, and, where applicable, storage sites. Lukas Haberland of Fluxys Deutschland illustrated what an infrastructure might look like using the examples of Belgium and Northwestern Europe. In Belgium, a CO2<\/sub>\u00a0network with a total length of up to 700 kilometers is planned, which is intended to connect industrial clusters with one another and with export and storage options. According to the plans presented, the first sections could go into operation as early as 2031, depending, among other things, on market developments and binding commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of relevance to the Rhine-Ruhr region is the \u201cRuhbens \u2013 Ruhr, Belgium, North Sea\u201d project. The planned connection, approximately 500 kilometers long, is intended to link German industrial CO2<\/sub> sources with Belgian export opportunities. The goal is to begin operations in the early 2030s, depending on market developments and funding opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Stefan Kaufmann cited India as an example to illustrate the potential of emerging international markets for sustainable hydrogen and methanol. As a senior advisor to the GH2 organization and a member of the International Advisory Board of GH2 India, he focused on the country\u2019s emerging methanol ecosystem. Scaling up e-methanol depends on more than just low-cost production. The key factors are the economic viability of the entire value chain, regulatory compliance, suitable infrastructure, and guaranteed offtake. Certification, traceability, and robust evidence of carbon intensity are increasingly important prerequisites for bankable projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CO2<\/sub>\u00a0as a raw material: New CCU applications for fuels and materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Further presentations at the conference demonstrated a wide range of potential applications for CO2<\/sub>\u00a0as a raw material. Tobias Roelofs from TNO presented findings from the European TAKE-OFF project on the production of sustainable aviation fuels. The study examined various synthesis routes through which CO2<\/sub>\u00a0and hydrogen can be processed into sustainable aviation fuels via intermediate products such as methanol or olefins. Among other things, the goal of this technological development is to achieve higher carbon efficiency with lower hydrogen consumption and greater selectivity toward the desired fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Startups are also thriving the development of CCU solutions. Dr. Lisa Heymann of Co-reactive presented a process for CO2<\/sub> mineralization designed to permanently bind CO2<\/sub> into cementitious additives. Dr. Niklas Friedrichsen of Greenlyte Carbon Technologies, on the other hand, presented a modular platform that combines direct air capture with electrochemical desorption and hydrogen production. Dr. Pierre Calleja of SKYLEA presented another approach to CO2<\/sub> utilization based on immobilized microalgae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a subsequent panel discussion, the focus was on the financing conditions necessary to implement such innovations on a large scale. In particular, the discussion centered on how the differing requirements of startups, investors, and industrial scale-up projects can be reconciled. The presentations thus highlighted a broad spectrum of possibilities: CO2<\/sub>\u00a0can serve as a starting point for chemicals and fuels, be permanently bounded into materials, or be integrated into new industrial value chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon management: Technology, markets, and regulatory frameworks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Gernot Kalkoffen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, focused on the international energy transition. He noted that global energy demand is rising, while greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced at the same time. Three factors are crucial for a successful transition: technology, the political framework, and customer demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Shih-kang Lin of National Cheng Kung University also demonstrated that CO\u2082-intensive basic industries require a range of transformation pathways, using the Taiwanese steel industry as an example. He presented research on lower-CO\u2082 blast furnace operations, the use of hydrogen-rich gases, direct reduction, and the use of electric arc furnaces. The presentation thus broadened the perspective on international strategies for the defossilization of energy-intensive industrial processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years of Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>: The next step is industrial scaling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After ten years of Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup>, the results are thus mixed: On the technological side, essential foundations have been laid. Among other things, gas analysis and purification have been tested, methanol synthesis using real metallurgical gases has been demonstrated, and tools for simulation, process design, and environmental and economic assessment have been developed. At the same time, a look at industrialization reveals that the components must function as an integrated system and become economically viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely where further work should begin. How can technologies be scaled up? What combination of carbon sources, hydrogen, process, and product yields a robust business case? And how can companies reduce investment risks? These questions took center stage in 2026 more so than at previous Carbon2Chem\u00ae <\/sup>conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re on the right track \u2013 we have the right solutions and topics,\u201d concluded Dr. Markus Oles<\/strong>, the third coordinator of the joint research project. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Over the next two and a half years, the solutions will be further developed so they can make their way into industrial application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This marks the beginning of a new phase for Carbon2Chem\u00ae <\/sup>after ten years of research: Scientifically sound technologies are to be transformed into scalable solutions for industrial carbon cycles \u2013 with the goal of combining climate protection, economic value creation, and a more resilient supply of raw materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n



<\/strong>About Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Carbon2Chem\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> <\/sup>joint research project, partners from research and industry are working to harness unavoidable CO2<\/sub> from industrial processes as a feedstock for chemical production. The focus is on cross-industry production networks that connect the basic materials industry and the chemical industry through Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU). The goal is to replace fossil raw materials, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support a circular carbon economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall coordination bridges fundamental research, applied research, and industry: Prof. Dr. Robert Schl\u00f6gl represents fundamental research, Prof. Dr.-Ing. G\u00f6rge Deerberg (director of Technology Transfer at Fraunhofer UMSICHT) represents applied research, and Dr. Markus Oles represents industry. Carbon2Chem\u00ae <\/sup>is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. In the third project phase, which began in 2025, the focus is on implementing the developed solutions into industrial applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Key points at a glance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\"Fraunhofer<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
    \n
  • Carbon2Chem\u00ae\u00a0<\/sup>is technically ready for the next step: Following successful pilot-scale tests, the focus is now shifting to the industrial scaling of CCU technologies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Flexible processes enable new applications: In addition to the steel industry, other sectors and carbon sources are being considered \u2013 including the cement industry, waste management, and residual materials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Economic viability and infrastructure are crucial: Sustainable CCU business models require suitable framework conditions as well as reliable CO2<\/sub>\u00a0and hydrogen infrastructures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • CO2<\/sub>\u00a0becomes a raw material: New approaches demonstrate how carbon can be used for methanol, sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials, and integrated into industrial cycles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Carbon2Chem\u00ae approach has already demonstrated its technical viability at pilot scale. The next step is to scale up the developed solutions for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) and create economically viable applications for industry. At the 9th Conference on Sustainable Chemical Conversion in Industry, held on October 13, 2026, in D\u00fcsseldorf, experts from research and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":183405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"9th Conference on Sustainable Chemical Conversion in Industry highlights pathways for scaling up CCU technologies","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[6843,5714,10744,24230,12330,15692,10416,11749,10408,15511,10477,16792,10743],"supplier":[26736,27462,7455,303,28835,22445,3742,28834,2624],"class_list":["post-183383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-biochemicals","tag-biofuels","tag-carboncapture","tag-carbonmanagement","tag-ccu","tag-cement","tag-circulareconomy","tag-construction","tag-greenchemistry","tag-greenhydrogen","tag-microalgae","tag-saf","tag-useco2","supplier-bundesministerium-fur-forschung-technologie-und-raumfahrt-bmftr","supplier-co-reactive","supplier-exxonmobil","supplier-fraunhofer-institut-fuer-umwelt-sicherheits-und-energietechnik-umsicht","supplier-green-hydrogen-organisation","supplier-greenlyte-carbon-technologies","supplier-national-cheng-kung-university","supplier-syklea","supplier-tno"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183383","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=183383"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183416,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183383\/revisions\/183416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183383"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=183383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}