Belfast-based cleantech company Nuada has teamed up with major cement companies Holcim, SCG, Cementos Argos and Cementos Molins to evaluate the company’s next-generation carbon capture technology in a bid to cut the carbon emissions from producing cement.
Nuada, which was formerly MOF Technologies, has developed technology to capture carbon dioxide from foundational and hard-to-abate industries, using next-generation “heatless” capture. Nuada raised £3.4 million (€3.9 million) earlier this year to support the construction of another pilot plant to showcase its technology, at an energy-from-waste facility in the UK.
“Innovation in carbon capture is vital to slashing the cost of capture, enabling the ramp-up of infrastructure and ultimately improving the economics of CCS projects,” said Dr Jose Casaban, co-CEO of Nuada. “Nuada redefines carbon capture by deploying a solution that addresses the cost, energy, and integrational challenges for harder-to-abate sectors like cement”
The Queen’s University Belfast spinout’s technology works with a class of nano materials known as metal organic frameworks (MOFs) – crystalline, sponge-like materials that are highly porous and can store, separate and capture specific gases. These nano materials can be used to create filters for potentially harmful emissions from industries such as cement, steel and the waste-to-energy sector, releasing the captured CO2 through pressure instead of heat. Nuada has devised a way to manufacture the nano materials on an industrial scale.
“Carbon Capture is a key lever to accelerate our decarbonisation journey, and with CCUS projects around the world and a commitment to invest CHF2 billion by 2030, we are leading our industry’s transition to a net-zero future,” said Edelio Bermejo, head of global R&D at Holcim. ″Partnering with Nuada will facilitate the testing and accelerate the deployment of their technology, ultimately supporting the scaling up of carbon capture efforts.”
The company already has partnerships with Buzzi Unicem, Cementir Holding, and Heidelberg Materials, which were established through the Innovandi Open Challenge programme that brings start-ups and major cement companies together to work on net zero initiatives.
“The commitment of these major cement players to collaborate with Nuada, attests to the potential of our carbon capture innovation as a cornerstone solution for low-carbon cement, and we eagerly anticipate working together to accelerate its deployment” said Dr Conor Hamill, co-CEO of Nuada.
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