Decarbonisation is fast becoming the main goal in the fight against climate change. Finnish technical research and innovation centre VTT is currently coordinating a project that is exploring the capture of carbon dioxide from the forest industry and waste incineration for utilisation in the manufacture of plastics. At the same time, the commercial utilisation of carbon dioxide emissions is also being studied in other industrial sectors.
The capture and utilisation of industrial CO2 emissions have long been a topic of study at VTT. That research has now become part of the present project, which was launched in August 2022 is whimsically known as the Forest CUMP project.
The project is seeking to develop technology to produce polyolefins – polyethene and polypropene – from CO2 emissions, which would replace the fossil-based raw materials currently almost exclusively used.
The Forest CUMP project is a continuation of the work done within the scope of an earlier project known as Beccu. That project investigated the utilisation of carbon dioxide in the production of raw materials for polyurethane products such as insulation materials and industrial adhesives. That project developed technologies and a process concept for an entire value chain - from the bioenergy production, the capture of carbon dioxide, through to the production of chemicals and polymers. The Forest CUMP project is building on the production technology for developed within the Beccu project.
The aim is to create a processing concept that would allow expanding the the technology to industrial production scale. An interim goal will be the construction of a small test plant in a selected industrial environment in 2024.
Learnings from the test plant will inform the development and design of the future industrial-scale plant, according to VTT Research Professor Juha Lehtonen.
“In addition to technological development, we are studying the applicability of different sources of CO2 and methods for capture and purification of CO2. We are also looking into the logistical angle linked with the transport and storage of the feedstocks – carbon dioxide and hydrogen – and the intermediate products – hydrocarbons”, he explained.
Corporate partners are also participating in the project.
The project is being funded by Business Finland and is part of the "Veturi" ecosystems initiative, which aims to promote sustainability by increasing research, development and innovation investment (RDI) in Finland. The Veturi approach - Veturi is the Finnish word for Locomotive - involves supporting leading companies to develop new business and build RDI ecosystems in Finland.
Borealis is one of the Veturi companies. Forest CUMP is part of Borealis’ SPIRIT programme, which is pushing for green transition in the plastics industry.
“This is a significant development project that supports our vision, in which the carbon dioxide emissions from industry could be utilised for the production of e.g. durable plastic pipes out of them, which can bind carbon for long periods of time”, said Antti Ilves, of Borealis.
The Forest CUMP project runs through the end of 2024. Industrial participants include Borealis, Neste and ABB, and Metsä Spring, Kemira, Vantaa Energy, Stora Enso, Kleener Power Solutions, Carbon ReUse Finland, Fortum and Essity. LUT University is a research partner, alongside VTT.