Carbon Capture & Usage - ConsenCUS

Since May 2021, OMV Petrom has been part of ConsenCUS, an ambitious European project aimed at evaluating the technical and commercial feasibility of innovative technologies in capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) in flue gases and converting them into a chemical product with market value.

Starting June 2024, OMV Petrom will start testing an innovative carbon capture and utilization facility at the Petrobrazi refinery, for a period of four months. The plant consists of three units. The first captures CO2 through a more efficient technology than traditional methods. In the second unit, high purity CO2 is obtained and finally the third unit transforms CO2 into a chemical product, potassium formate, with multiple uses, such as the production of synthetic fuels.

By capturing carbon emissions released by the Cogeneration unit and by converting them electrochemically it is estimated that the technology tested in a real-life environment at Petrobrazi can capture up to 100 kg CO2/hour, with an efficiency rate of over 90%.

The project is financed in the range of 70% of the total estimated costs by the European Commission through Horizon 2020, the largest Research and Innovation program managed at EU level.

The ConsenCUS project is run by a consortium of 19 leading research institutions and innovative companies: University of Groningen (NL), New Energy Coalition (NL), Wetsus (NL), Coval Energy (NL), Technical University of Denmark (DK), Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (DK), Danish Gas Technology Centre (DK), Aalborg Portland (DK), Heriot-Watt University (UK), Robert Gordon University (UK), Net Zero Technology Centre (UK), British Geological Survey (UK), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (GR), Grecian Magnesite (GR), OMV Petrom, Energy Policy Group (RO), Zhejiang University (CN), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN) and University of Calgary (CA).

More information on the ConsenCUS Project can be found on the official website.