ConsenCUS: Start of Demonstration Campaign in Aalborg, Denmark

27 NOVEMBER 2023

ConsenCUS has inaugurated its innovative electrochemical CO₂ capture and conversion demonstration plant in Aalborg, Denmark, at the site of the cement plant of Aalborg Portland. A very special delegation consisting of his royal highness Kronprins Frederik, EU-commissioner for Energy, Ms Kadri Simson, and Danish minister of Energy, Climate and Utilities, Mr Lars Aagaard inaugurated the demonstration plant in a dedicated ceremony. The inauguration took place during the international CCUS Forum that is held in Aalborg, Denmark on the 27^th and 28^th of November 2023. The important delegation that was assembled today in this ceremony, underlines the ever-growing emphasis on CCUS developments that are needed in order to reach our climate goals.

ConsenCUS, which commenced in 2021, is a 4-year innovation and demonstration project, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon2020 programme, under grant number 101022484. The project aims to demonstrate a new technique where carbon emissions from hard-to-abate sectors can be captured, using only electricity. It combines an electrochemical capture and regeneration unit where CO₂ is separated from industrial flue gases. In a second unit the CO₂ is converted into useful chemicals such as formate and formic acid. The use of renewable electricity makes it possible to reduce the footprint of the capture and conversion processes. With this, ConsenCUS wants to contribute to the climate goals set by the European Union to achieve Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

On November 27^th, the demonstration plant was inaugurated during a short ceremony. The delegation is in Aalborg, Denmark, for the 3^rd international CCUS FORUM. The CCUS FORUM is a robust stakeholder consultation platform established by the European Commission in 2021. It aims to bring together representatives of the EU institutions, EU and third countries, NGOs, business leaders and academia to facilitate the deployment of CCUS technologies.

After demonstrating the plant at the Cement plant of Aalborg Portland, more test results will be gathered from its use within two other industries:  the oil refinery site of OMV Petrom near Ploiesti, Romania and at the site of Grecian Magnesite in Yerakini, Greece. All three industries are committed to contribute to the development of techniques that can capture hard-to-abate carbon emissions.

Besides demonstrating the innovative technology in different industrial settings, ConsenCUS activities also address the modelling of cyclic storage of CO₂ in underground reservoirs, techno economic impact of the innovation in the three industrial value chains, the life cycle assessment and CO2 cluster and value chain design. Special attention is also given to address the societal engagement and impact of CCUS on communities.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101022484

About ConsenCUS 

ConsenCUS is a 4-year international Innovation Action under the Horizon 2020 framework of the EU, under grant agreement N^o 101022484. It is performed by 19 consortium partners from 7 EU countries. It investigates how electrochemically driven carbon capture and conversion innovations can combine with safe transport and/or storage through economically viable networks and clusters, with specific attention for the interaction of local communities with the technological developments.

The consortium consists of:

University of Groningen, New Energy Coalition, Wetsus, Coval Energy (NL), Technical University of Denmark, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Danish Gas Technology Centre, Aalborg Portland(DK), Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University, NZTC Ltd, British Geological Survey (UK), Center for Research and Technology Hellas, Grecian Magnesite (GR), OMV Petrom, Energy Policy Group (RO), Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN) and University of Calgary (CA). 

More information:

Website: www.consencus.eu  

Video: About ConsenCUS – YouTube