UK-headed carbon capture technology developers MOF Technologies Ltd (trading as Nuada) has announced the launch of a pilot plant operation at a cement facility in Monselice, Italy. Italy-based cement and aggregates producer Buzzi Unicem, a Buzzi Group company, is trialling Nuada’s advanced carbon capture technology as a solution to produce low-carbon cement, leading the way in cement industry decarbonisation.
According to a statement, this pilot project marks a significant milestone in carbon capture innovation, demonstrating the performance of Nuada’s next-generation technology within a cement manufacturing setting.
Energy-efficient carbon capture solution
Nuada has developed an energy-efficient carbon capture solution by combining advanced solid sorbents known as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with a mature vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process.
This innovative, electrically powered system separates CO2 from industrial flue gases using pressure instead of heat, and according to Nuada, offers a promising approach to overcoming the energy, cost, and integration challenges associated with deploying traditional carbon capture solutions in industry.
We are deploying the most energy-efficient carbon capture technology developed to date, a solution that redefines the decarbonisation landscape for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, said Dr Conor Hamill, Co-CEO of Nuada.
This MOF-based VPSA carbon capture plant is fully operational, capturing one tonne of CO2 per day from cement flue gas.
This plant demonstrates the robustness, scalability, and game-changing benefits of our innovative capture system. Together with Buzzi, we are demonstrating the future of carbon capture in cement, added Dr Jose Casaban, Co-CEO of Nuada.
Global Concrete and Cement Association backing
The cement sector currently accounts for 7 percent of global carbon emissions. According to the Global Concrete and Cement Association’s (GCCA) Net Zero Roadmap, carbon capture is the main decarbonization lever.
The project is backed by the GCCA and was initiated through GCCA’s Innovandi Open Challenge programme, an initiative that fosters collaborations between major cement producers and innovative technology providers to decarbonise cement production.
Buzzi confirms its willingness to delve deeper into this and other technical issues, to raise awareness among the community of the efforts made towards the ambitious goal of Net Zero by 2050.
Our company has always been at the forefront of technology and searches for innovative solutions. We are excited to host Nuada’s advanced carbon capture technology and start the pilot test campaign in Monselice. We look forward to confirming the high expectations that Nuada technology can play a leading role in the cement industry’s decarbonization journey, said Luigi Buzzi, CTO at Buzzi.
