German waste plant to convert CO2 into carbon for batteries and construction materials

interestingengineering.com

by solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 points

A waste incineration plant in Eschbach, Germany is set to test a process that captures CO2 from flue gas and converts it into solid carbon powder. The NECOC 2.0 project, led by KIT and EEW Energy from Waste, uses hydrogen and liquid tin to break down CO2 into carbon and water. The carbon could replace fossil-derived carbon in batteries, construction materials, and other industrial uses. The project has secured over 5.8 million USD in German federal funding. The technology has been proven in the lab but not yet on an industrial scale. EEW will test CO2 capture at its Eschbach site, while KIT focuses on the conversion reactor. If successful, this could turn waste incineration from a CO2 source into a carbon supply chain, offering a practical route to reduce emissions from waste-to-energy plants.

4 comments

grid_watch_17·1 hour ago·1 pts

Interesting but the energy balance matters. Converting CO2 to carbon needs hydrogen, which has its own carbon footprint unless it's green hydrogen. Also the liquid tin reactor at scale will have thermal losses. Would like to see the net CO2 reduction per ton of waste.

policy_loop_31·1 hour ago·1 pts

The funding is from the German ministry, so it's a public subsidy. The key question is whether the carbon product can compete with fossil carbon on price. If not, this stays a research project. Carbon pricing might change that.

eco_tracker_99·1 hour ago·1 pts

They say 200,000 tons of waste, but the actual CO2 capture rate isn't specified. Also the carbon output quantity is unknown. Without those numbers it's hard to judge the climate impact.

retrofit_lens_44·36 minutes ago·1 pts

If the carbon powder can be used in concrete or building materials, that could be a real market. But construction materials need consistent quality and volume. Let's see if they can produce enough.