Potential game-changer in the green transition
The technology, called CAPPOW, is notable for its ability to capture flue gas, clean it, and then split the CO2-saturated liquid from the flue gas cleaning into CO2, oxygen, and hydrogen via electrolysis. The customer segment is essentially any company that emits CO2 and has access to green electricity, such as biogas plants, combined heat and power plants, and manufacturing companies. The plant can be scaled up or down as needed, making it adaptable to both smaller and larger CO2 emitters.
“CAPPOW will be relevant for virtually any company with a chimney, especially because the technology offers a different business case than a traditional CO2 capture plant. With our technology, flue gas can be converted into valuable resources such as biofuels,” explains Søren G. Larsen.
The captured CO2 will be at least 99% pure, meaning it can be compressed into tanks and directly used for carbonated drinks like beer, cider, and soft drinks. Additionally, the CO2 can be converted into green fuel or compressed and stored underground. The produced hydrogen can either be used directly for green fuel or converted into electricity or heat.
The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is often mentioned as a key tool for achieving climate goals in both the Paris Agreement and Denmark’s 70% reduction target by 2030. However, the necessary large-scale plants to capture the required amounts are still missing. Here, the CAPPOW technology could prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
“There are other facilities capturing CO2, and there are facilities performing Power-to-X, but there is no other facility in the world that can combine these two processes in one and with commercially viable technology. Therefore, we have enormous expectations for CAPPOW, which we believe can become a key technology in the green transition,” says CEO of ESTECH, Søren G. Larsen.
Largest Facility of its kind in Denmark
ESTECH’s carbon capture and utilization facility, the largest of its kind in Denmark, was inaugurated in September and is now fully operational, validating the technology on a large scale.
The facility is a near-full-scale plant located at VCS Denmark (VandCenter Syd) in Odense.
“It is both our ambition and expectation to have a fully commercial technology by next year. We are going all-in on this technology because we are convinced that we are dealing with a game-changer for Danish business and for the green transition,” says Søren G. Larsen.
Further information
Søren Gert Larsen, CEO, ESTECH A/S: +45 30 80 75 27 / sgl@estech.dk
www.estech.dk/technology
Facts about ESTECH A/S
- Established in 2018.
- Headquarters in Svendborg with administration, a test center, and production facilities.
- Part of PureteQ Group A/S – a holding company represented by two sister companies (PureteQ A/S and ESTECH A/S), collaborating to develop green technologies for both the maritime and land-based industries.
Facts about CAPPOW
ESTECH’s CAPPOW technology combines two otherwise separate processes: CO2 capture and hydrogen production via electrolysis (Power-to-X), which is powered by electricity. The advantage of combining these two processes is threefold:
- It is more cost-effective than building two separate plants for CO2 capture and hydrogen production
- It is more energy-efficient to run the processes together rather than individually
- The process solely uses harmless chemicals, specifically potassium hydroxide (KOH) – a natural cleaning agent – and does not require heat
The hydrogen produced can be used directly as fuel or in the industry, and it can also be further converted into green ammonia, methanol, or methane. The captured CO2, after cleaning, will contain at least 99% pure CO2. It can then be compressed into tanks and sold directly for use in carbonated beverages such as beer and soda.
The technology’s development began in 2019 under the name CAPPOW, a contraction of the words Carbon Capture and Power-to-X. Now, the facility is complete, and the testing phase has begun. Data will be collected throughout the year, and the results will be continuously analyzed, evaluated and optimized.
On the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale—a method of estimating the maturity of new technologies on a scale from 1 to 9, with 9 indicating a proven and competitive technology ready for production—the CAPPOW technology currently stands at 7.5.