Deep tech startup Reduciner has announced the launch of a novel technology designed to convert captured carbon dioxide into usable fuels and industrial raw materials.
The startup, which originated out of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has raised €3.6 million in its initial funding round, including equity funding from Voima Ventures, Lifeline Ventures, and the Mikko Kodisoja Foundation.
This funding will be used to develop a 1MW pilot facility in Finland, as it moves towards commercial deployment of its technology.
“Most technologies that seek to replace fossil fuels with more sustainable ones require rebuilding of infrastructure,” said Johanna Grönroos, co-founder and CEO of Reduciner (pictured). “Reduciner’s technology converts CO₂ into CO, which is compatible with existing machinery, allowing the solution to be deployed faster and more cost-efficiently.
“What makes Reduciner stand out from other deep tech companies aiming to develop sustainable fuel alternatives is that with our process, the sustainability impacts are reached profitably from the very beginning.”
How it works
The technology relies on a thermochemical process that converts CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO) using renewable electricity and biogenic carbon. This CO can then be used in the production of synthetic hydrocarbons such as methanol.
As the company noted, compared to the production of hydrocarbons via conventional CO₂-based processes, the use of carbon monoxide improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while also reducing the need for costly inputs such as hydrogen.
Industrial applications
According to Reduciner, the technology is particularly suited to industries such as lime, cement, steel, and pulp – in the lime sector, for example, the carbon dioxide can be captured from the lime kiln, processed with Reduciner’s technology and used as fuel in the same kiln, creating a circular economy loop.
“On a global scale, CO₂ emissions from the lime and cement industry are bigger than those from aviation and marine transport combined,” added Eemeli Tsupari, co-founder and CTO.
“With this technology, it is possible to replace fossil fuels in these industries site by site, depending on the availability of green electricity and grid connection, while also improving cost competitiveness.”
The development of Reduciner follows several years of research at VTT and pilot validation, with the commercialisation phase, which commenced this year, thus far including small-scale demonstration installations. Reduciner is confident that its technology can be scaled internationally by 2030. Read more here.
