High-performance CO2-to-Sustainable Fuels
For Power-to-X and industrial sites decarbonization
Real Carbon Technology takes carbon capture and usage (CCU) to a new level. Our patent-protected solution offers direct carbon dioxide and hydrogen to methanol/DME conversion faster and cheaper than traditional methods. We deliver multiple efficiency gains while saving on CAPEX and OPEX and bringing overall green fuels costs down.
CLOSING THE ANTHROPOGENIC CARBON CYCLE
Capture
Capturing CO2 from industrial facilities, fossil or biomass-fueled power stations, or directly from the air.
Utilization
Using captured CO2 as an input feed-stock to create products and fuels.
CH3OH (methanol)
When combusted methanol emits 95% less CO2 and no other dangerous components (e.g. suplhur), while offering ecological safety of handling and economic security.
CCUS is a group of technologies that contributes both to reducing emissions in key sectors directly and to removing CO2 to balance emissions that cannot be avoided – a critical part of net-zero goals.
The use of the CO2 for an industrial purpose can provide a revenue stream for CCUS facilities. Until now, the vast majority of CCUS projects have relied on revenues from the sale of CO2 to oil companies for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). But there are many other potential uses of carbon dioxide, e.g. as a feed-stock for the production of synthetic fuels and chemicals.
We at RealCarbonTech focus on delivering the most efficient technology of turning carbon dioxide feed-stock into marketable methanol-based products for energy, chemical or transportation sectors.
CLEAN OR DIRTY
FEED-STOCK
REDUCED CONVERSION COSTS
MODULAR
LOW FOOT-PRINT
ZERO
EMISSIONS
Technology
It is generally known that production of methanol (MeOH) from biomass and from carbon dioxide and hydrogen does not involve experimental technologies. Almost identical proven and fully commercial technologies are used to make MeOH from fossil fuel-based syngas and can be used for renewable MeOH production.
Traditional MeOH synthesis technologies rely on loop methods, which require complex production steps starting from feed-stock purification, turning it into synthesis gas, producing crude MeOH, separating it from water and other components and repeating the cycles multiple times to achieve desired process efficiencies.
With our method we eliminate the syngas phase. Where others use multiple reactors, compressors, columns, drums, boilers and etc., we achieve 100% process efficiency in a single cycle with a much smaller reactor. Our sea container does the job of convetional chemical plants. And what is equally important - our process does not emit any carbon dioxide along the way.
Together with already available flue gases capture technologies our solution can be retrofitted into an existing facility, eliminating the need to redesign the plant’s processes while meeting emission reduction targets and extending asset useful lifetime in an economically attractive way.
At the same time our single-pass method can be a value adding part to Power-to-Methanol projects with direct air capture systems reducing the final product costs through higher conversion efficiencies.
Methanol or, alternatively, dimethyl ether (DME) are the key products of our direct synthesis. Further downstream conversion to other methanol-based products is possible depending on the CCU project specifics and off-taking arrangements.
The solution for existing energy assets
Meeting net-zero goals requires tackling emissions across all energy sectors, including those that are labelled as “hard to abate”. This includes heavy industry (incl. cement, steel and chemicals production), which accounts for almost 20% of global CO2 emissions. Today’s industrial assets could generate more than 600 GtCO2 – almost two decade’s worth of current annual emissions – if they were to operate as they currently do until the end of their technical lives. Retrofitting CO2 capture and utilization equipment can enable the continued operation of existing plants, as well as associated infrastructure and supply chains, but with significantly reduced carbon foot-print.
Retrofitting facilities can also help to preserve employment and economic prosperity in regions that rely on emissions-intensive industry, while avoiding the economic and social disruption of early retirements.
OUR END-USERS
Power-to-X
Small and mid-size emitters with limited footprint available
Emitters > 1 mio tons of CO2/year
Team
The patent-protected direct methanol synthesis method has been developed and tested by A. Urakawa, Professor of Catalysis Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), The Netherlands and his research team.
Prof. Urakawa has a BSc degree in Applied Chemistry from Kyushu University (Japan) followed by MSc study in Chemical Engineering from TU Delft. After the PhD from ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and positions of Senior Scientist and Lecturer prof. Urakawa joined ICIQ, Spain in 2010. His research group combined fundamental as well as highly applied research and focus on rational development of heterogeneous catalysts and processes aided by in situ and operando spectroscopic methods. After nine years at ICIQ, Mr. Urakawa continues his research as a professor at TU Delft. Professor Urakawa is a recipient of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Award 2020 and Japan Academy Medal 2021.
Headed by Mr. Tomasz Zmysłowski, Innox Nova Sp. Z o.o., Poland is the operational arm to commercialize the technology and make it available to a wide range of industrial facilities world-wide.
Innox Nova has been active in supporting industrial projects since 2013. Regional Innovative Leader of the Year 2010 and 2012 Mr. Zmysłowski is experienced in creating and implementing business platforms, connecting industrial partners and facilitating innovation clusters in Poland.
Commercial, strategic and financial activities are lead by Roman Bublik, MBA, who brings the crucial set of skills and competences in multiple areas:
Roman Bublik is a seasoned professional with 20+ years of experience in the corporate and start-up environment. He has earned a MSc in Management and Internal Audit at Bayes Business School, City University of London where he was a Chevening Scholar, followed by an MBA from St.Gallen University (HSG), Switzerland, as well as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt qualification from HSG/Optness Institute. Roman's professional history includes operational and financial risk assessment and process reviews, business controlling and business development at Altria/Kraft Foods, Holcim, Sika and others.
Together we have established an international team of experienced professionals from academia and business to make RealCarbonTech one of the leading technology providers globally.
Renewable Methanol
Methanol is a key product in the chemical industry. It is mainly used for producing other chemicals such as formaldehyde, acetic acid and plastics. Methanol is also a versatile fuel that can be used in internal combustion engines, and in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles and vessels. Liquid at ambient temperature and pressures, it is straightforward to store, transport and distribute, making it compatible with existing distribution infrastructure and blending with conventional fuels to create high-performance and low-carbon fuels.
Around 100 million tonnes (Mt) of methanol are produced per annum, nearly all of it comes from fossil fuels (either natural gas or coal). Only about 0.2 Mt of renewable methanol is produced annually. Renewable methanol can be made from a variety of sustainable feed-stocks, such as biomass, waste or CO2 and hydrogen.
Its use in place of fossil fuels will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and in some cases can also reduce other harmful emissions (sulphur oxides [SOx], nitrogen oxides [NOx], and particulate matter [PM]).
OUR PARTNERS
Renewable methanol vs alternatives
Methanol has a number of advantages compared to some other proposed renewable energy carriers, including hydrogen, LNG, ammonia and batteries.
Hydrogen gas has been proposed as an energy storage medium and produces, besides energy, only water when combusted. In practice, however, because of its low volumetric density hydrogen requires either compression to high pressures (350-700 bar) or liquefaction at very low temperature (-253°C), making its storage problematic and energy-intensive. It is also highly flammable and explosive and can diffuse through many commonly used metals and materials. The infrastructure needed to transport, store and dispense hydrogen safely would therefore be very expensive.
LNG too requires cryogenic temperatures for its storage (-162°C). If the space for the containment is included in the comparison, the energy density of methanol is comparable to that of LNG.
Liquid ammonia has either to be cooled down to -34°C or kept under moderate pressure.
Methanol, on the other hand, does not need any refrigeration or pressurization because it is a liquid under ambient conditions.
The volumetric energy density of methanol is only about half that of gasoline and diesel, but about three times higher than compressed H2 (700 bar) and two times higher than liquid H2. One litre of methanol actually contains more hydrogen than one litre of liquefied H2.
An often-proposed purely hydrogen-based economy would require massive investment, and the construction of a costly and specialized infrastructure that does not exist presently.
As a liquid fuel, methanol is relatively easy to handle and does not need highly specialized equipment for its transport, storage and distribution. With minor and inexpensive modifications, the current infrastructure can be adapted to methanol, enabling a smooth transition to the use of renewable methanol.
Source: IRENA
News
13 July 2021
Business Insider Polska, Ringier Axel Springer and PwC distinguish emerging ESG stars. The jury selected the most promising Polish startups that fit into the implementation of the model of sustainable development of enterprises.
https://www.pwc.pl/pl/media/2021/2021-07-13-startupy-wschodzace-gwiazdy-esg.html
01 October 2021
Our team is proud to be recognized as one of the promising #climatetech startups by the ORZEŁ INNOWACJI (Eagle of Innovation) competition.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6856580204832395264
16 December 2021
Following the initial sourcing of over 100 start-ups and the subsequent pitching phase, we are very excited to have been selected as one of the finalist start-ups for advanced discussions to form working partnerships with member companies, which will result in final consortium agreements. From then onwards, GCCA member mentors and their start-up partners will be working together to develop their technologies ahead of a demo day later in 2022.
08 June 2022
RCT team is excited to be announced as The New Energy Challenge (NEC) one of the twenty most promising companies in 2022. Jointly organized by Rockstart, Shell, Unknown Group and YES!Delft, the NEC is open to European and Israeli start-ups and scale-ups. The winning companies will be given the opportunity to connect with investors and experts, unlocking the knowledge, contacts, funding, and support needed to scale their business and help them to drive change in the energy system.
https://newenergychallenge.com/post/nec-2022-top-20-finalist-profiles/
26 September 2022
Our technology demonstration facility has been launched in Warsaw. We are proud to announce that our original scaling up assumptions have been validated and high quality crude methanol is being produced with efficiencies in line with lab results.
According to the Institute of Industrial Chemistry (IChP) this is the first installation in the world that is able to fully convert feedstock gases without additional process recirculation. Such an assessment puts RealCarbonTech's solution in the leading position in terms of methanol yield per unit of mass components used.
02 February 2023
We are thrilled to be one of eight energy startups selected to take part in the first edition of Ørsted Propel. Teaming up in 2022, Ørsted and Rockstart screened over 150 startups to pick a hanful that are now invited for the four-month open innovation program, providing funding opportunities, resources to develop pilot projects, and other long-term engagements with Ørsted. Utilizing Ørsted’s network and industry knowledge, this program designed and implemented by Rockstart focuses on finding the best solutions for a more sustainable future.
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