For years, carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been considered primarily a byproduct of industrial processes and one of the main greenhouse gases. But what if some of that CO₂ could stop being viewed solely as an emission and instead become a valuable feedstock?
This is one of the ideas behind CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) technologies: capturing CO₂ before it reaches the atmosphere and then using it in different industrial applications or storing it permanently.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) identifies several pathways for using captured CO₂, including the production of synthetic fuels, chemicals, and construction materials. In addition to contributing to decarbonization, these applications can create new economic opportunities for certain industries.
But how exactly does this process work?
What is CCUS and how does it work?
CCUS encompasses a range of technologies that make it possible to capture, transport, utilize, or store carbon dioxide from industrial facilities, power plants, and even directly from the atmosphere.
The process can be divided into several stages:
- Capture: CO₂ is separated from a gas stream before being released into the atmosphere.
- Conditioning and transportation: The captured CO₂ can be treated, compressed, and transported to the location where it will be utilized or stored.
- Utilization or storage: CO₂ can be converted into a feedstock for different products or permanently stored in geological formations.
The difference between CCS and CCUS lies precisely in this final stage. While CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) focuses on capturing and permanently storing CO₂, CCUS also incorporates its utilization as an industrial resource.
And this is where the potential to generate economic value comes into play.
How can money be made from captured CO₂?
CO₂ does not necessarily have to be considered simply a waste product. Under certain conditions, it can be converted into a feedstock for different industries.
- Synthetic fuels
One of the applications with the greatest potential is the production of synthetic fuels.
Captured CO₂ can be combined with hydrogen to produce synthetic fuels, including alternatives for sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation.
This process makes it possible to reuse carbon as a feedstock rather than relying exclusively on carbon derived from fossil fuels. According to the IEA, synthetic fuels represent one of the key future pathways for the utilization of captured CO₂.
- Chemicals
CO₂ can also be used as a feedstock in certain chemical industry processes.
This opens the door to partially replacing fossil-based carbon sources with carbon derived from captured CO₂. However, the viability of these applications depends on factors such as energy consumption, the process used, and the product’s overall life cycle.
Therefore, capturing CO₂ does not automatically mean that a product is sustainable. For a genuine climate benefit to be achieved, it is necessary to consider where the energy used in the process comes from and how long the carbon remains stored in the resulting product.
- Construction materials
Another particularly promising application is the use of CO₂ in the production of construction materials.
Carbon dioxide can be incorporated into certain materials through mineralization processes and other technologies, potentially contributing to longer-term carbon storage in some applications.
This pathway is particularly attractive because it can combine emissions reduction with the production of marketable products. In fact, the IEA identifies construction materials as one of the areas with potential for developing CO₂ utilization markets.
Capturing CO₂ can also create value
In addition to selling or using CO₂ as a feedstock, CCUS projects can benefit from other economic mechanisms, depending on the country and regulatory framework, such as incentives, carbon markets, or emissions reduction schemes.
Financial interest in these technologies is growing. According to the IEA, global investment in CCUS projects exceeded $5 billion in 2025, more than 15 times the level recorded in 2020.
This demonstrates that carbon capture is evolving from a technology focused exclusively on emissions reduction into a sector offering new opportunities for investment and innovation.
The role of research and Pilot Plants
Before a CCUS technology can be developed into a commercially viable industrial process, it must first be demonstrated and validated.
This is where CO₂ capture pilot plants play a crucial role. They make it possible to study different materials, processes, and operating conditions before implementing the technology at a larger scale.
In this field, EDIBON is involved in the development of advanced technologies for CO₂ capture. One of the most notable examples is the EDIBON-MOF4AIR Pilot Plant for CO₂ Adsorption Capture, developed as part of the European MOF4AIR project.
EDIBON and innovation in CO₂ Capture
As part of the MOF4AIR project, EDIBON designed and manufactured three pilot plants to test MOF (Metal-Organic Framework)-based CO₂ capture technologies under real industrial conditions.
These pilot plants make it possible to study CO₂ adsorption using MOF materials and optimize different process variables. The system incorporates three adsorption columns and a control system developed by EDIBON, enabling the main operating variables to be monitored and managed.
The pilot plants were installed at different industrial sites and research centers across Europe, including the Technology Centre Mongstad (Norway), the Tüpraş refinery (Türkiye), and the Solamat-Merex waste treatment facility (France).
In addition, EDIBON developed an adsorption-based CO₂ capture pilot plant for VITO, an applied research center in Belgium. The plant was designed in collaboration with VITO researchers to address specific experimental and development requirements.
From CO₂ emissions to CO₂ as a resource
Can CO₂ be turned into money? The answer is yes, but not automatically.
The true potential of CCUS lies in creating a value chain in which captured CO₂ can become a resource for new industrial applications, provided that the technology is technically and economically viable and that the overall process delivers demonstrable environmental benefits.
Synthetic fuels, chemicals, and construction materials are just some of the possibilities currently being explored.
For these technologies to reach industrial scale, research, experimentation, and pilot plants are essential. Through projects such as MOF4AIR and the development of CO₂ capture pilot plants, EDIBON contributes to turning research into applied technology, providing equipment capable of studying and validating capture processes under conditions increasingly representative of industrial environments.
Because the future of carbon does not necessarily have to be about simply reducing it. It can also be about capturing it, utilizing it, and turning it into an opportunity for a more efficient and sustainable industry.
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