Reduciner electrified process turns CO2 and biochar into carbon monoxide and activated carbon for industry

Finnish startup Reduciner has developed an electrified thermochemical process that combines captured CO2 with biochar to produce carbon monoxide and activated carbon. The technology uses a reactor similar to an electrically heated rotary kiln and runs the Reverse Boudouard reaction, achieving over 90% CO2-to-CO conversion efficiency in trials. Both inputs can come from waste streams, and the reactor is powered by renewable electricity, making the pathway potentially carbon neutral. The CO can be sold as a fuel gas or used as a feedstock for synthetic hydrocarbons, while the activated carbon is valuable in water treatment, air purification, and metals recovery. Reduciner has demonstrated the process at bench scale and plans a pilot plant after a 3.6 million euro funding round. Target customers include hard to abate sectors like cement, lime, steel, and pulp and paper, where captured CO2 from the same site could fuel the process.