A new carbon capture solvent, developed through a collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON), is set to undergo engineering-scale testing this month at the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Norway, the world’s largest carbon capture test facility.
The solvent is designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gases emitted by power plants, steel mills, cement factories, and other industrial facilities.
This innovative technology is the result of a multi-year partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
According to the announcement, made by the NETL on Wednesday, the tests will help developers assess the technology’s performance and validate key factors needed for future commercial deployment.
The solvent works by absorbing CO2, which is then separated and compressed for geological storage or other applications.
The technology is designed to be retrofitted in existing plants or integrated into new facilities.
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The upcoming tests build on successful pilot-scale trials conducted at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in 2023 and UT Austin’s research plant in 2022, totaling 7,000 hours of testing.
This solution aims to capture 95% of a facility’s CO2 emissions while reducing costs and environmental impacts compared to current methods.
Carbon capture technology plays a crucial role in reducing global CO2 emissions, contributing to 20% of the reductions needed to meet zero-emission targets, according to the International Energy Agency.
TCM Managing Director Ismail Shah expressed enthusiasm about working with Honeywell, stating that TCM’s capabilities will help accelerate the commercialization of this new technology.
This collaboration highlights the importance of real-world testing for the future of carbon capture and climate solutions in order to bridge the gap between small-scale testing and full-scale deployment.
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