Mineral binding and utilisation of industrial CO₂ emissions using innovative CCU technologies
The CCUpScale project is dedicated to finding ways to capture unavoidable industrial CO₂ emissions and convert them into marketable materials. RHI Magnesita, MCi Carbon, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and the University of Technology Sydney are jointly developing a scalable process for mineral carbonation. The technology is to be demonstrated in Tyrol from 2028 in an industrial pilot plant that will bind 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and use it to produce CO₂-negative mineral products.
Industrial processes such as the manufacture of cement or refractory products generate large amounts of unavoidable CO₂ emissions. As these processes cannot be completely converted to renewable energy sources, the capture and utilisation of CO₂ (CCU) is becoming increasingly important. CCUpScale addresses this challenge by developing and demonstrating a mineral carbonation technology that permanently binds CO₂ and converts it into value-added materials.
Project goals
- Demonstration of a CO₂ capture and utilisation process using mineral carbonation
- Construction of a CCU pilot plant in Tyrol with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year
- Development of CO₂-negative products such as silicate or magnesite for the construction and industrial sectors
- Assessment of the scalability of the technology for industrial decarbonisation
- Contribution to climate neutrality, circular economy and sustainable raw material cycles
Role of AIT
AIT supports the technological advancement of CCU processes, contributes expertise in materials analysis, process evaluation and scaling issues, and assists with the integration of the technology into industrial application scenarios and the evaluation of circular economy and decarbonisation potential.
Funding
This project is funded as part of the ‘Australia-Austria Joint Call 2024: Industrial Decarbonisation’ by the Climate and Energy Fund on behalf of the BMK and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
