RTI International Awarded $5 Million to Develop Pioneering Carbon Capture Technology

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. —RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research institute, was awarded $5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) in Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). The funding will be used to adapt its advanced CO₂ capture solvent to develop a cost-effective CO₂ capture system and commercially viable CO₂ utilization solutions for the cement industry.

The project will build on several advanced technologies conceived by the project team, and a next-generation 10 tonne-CO₂/day CO₂ capture system. The system will be built and integrated at the CEMEX cement production facility in Victorville, California, while evaluating the use of the captured CO₂ for precast/ready-mix concrete through CarbonCure’s concrete curing process and Carbon Upcycling Technologies’ concrete additives.

“With CEMEX being a project partner and technology stakeholder, the design and integration of the capture system with its cement plant, and subsequent use of the CO₂ at its concrete plants are set to align with the industry’s needs”, said Paul Mobley, research chemical engineer at RTI. “The development of this highly disruptive CO₂ capture technology could accelerate industry adoption and thereby significantly reduce industrial emissions.”

The goal of the project is to increase efficiencies and value in CEMEX’s overall building material fabrication process while significantly reducing its CO₂ footprint. The specific objectives include the development, optimization and scaleup of specific CO₂ capture process components, as well as incorporation of next-generation non-aqueous solvents. The project also plans to cover integration aspects of the low-cost, modular, process intensification capture technology with CEMEX’s cement plant with subsequent cost evaluations and technical considerations for the transformation of captured CO₂ into new building products.

“Climate change is one of our time's biggest challenges; that is why we participate in California’s Cap-and-Trade program aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment,” said Jaime Muguiro, President of CEMEX USA. “This grant represents an excellent opportunity to develop further a new technology that will allow us to achieve our ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete to all of our customers."

RTI is leading the project in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Carbon Clean Solutions USA Inc. (CCSUS), and CEMEX Inc. The project team brings together leading experts in advanced CO₂ capture solvents, process intensification, and additive manufacturing.

RTI’s energy division develops innovative process technologies in the areas of gas separations, water decontamination, syngas processing, catalysis, CO₂ capture and utilization, natural gas, industrial water, and biomass conversion for industrial and government clients. RTI research supports national and worldwide goals of reliable, sustainable, economically viable, and secure energy supplies.

For additional information about RTI and this project, please visit www.rti.org/energy.

About Carbon Clean
Carbon Clean is a global leader in low-cost CO₂ capture technology. The company’s patented technology significantly reduces the costs and environmental impacts of CO₂ separation, when compared to existing techniques.

The technology has been proven at scale in over 10 locations, including the UK, USA, Germany, India, Norway and the Netherlands. It is currently in use at the world’s largest industrial-scale carbon capture and utilization plant in Tuticorin, India. The UK Government has supported Carbon Clean’s development of its technology through competitive grants.

The company was awarded a ‘Technology Pioneer’ award by the World Economic Forum in 2015 and was featured in the ‘BGF 10 Green Tech to Watch’ list in The Sunday Times in 2020. Carbon Clean is headquartered in London, UK and also operates offices in India and the United States. For information about Carbon Clean: www.carbonclean.com

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest US Department of Energy science and engineering laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit www.energy.gov/science

About CEMEX
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable services. CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future. For more information, please visit: www.cemex.com