Improving CO2 Capture With 3D Printed Ceramics

The energy sector is responsible for 30% of the total CO2 emissions in The Netherlands as the country is dependent on fossil fuels and raw materials. The Netherlands has set a goal of Net Zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

In order to achieve a sustainable, climate-neutral energy management system, capture, use and storage of CO2 are essential. However, reducing the carbon footprint is challenging due to the size of the equipment associated with high capital investments and the energy that is required for this equipment.

What Is The 3D CAPS Project?

The 3D CAPS project researches and develops tangible solutions for CCUS. The aim of this project is a 10-fold productivity increase leading to a substantial decrease in overall equipment size and costs for removal and recovery of CO2 from industrial gases. The project is dedicated to developing two new adsorption-based technologies with an inherent small energy footprint.

These adsorbents are prepared using innovative 3D printing as it allows using tailored material with much improved characteristics that are not possible with current production technologies. Initially, the 3D CAPS project measured successful material performance of both 3D printed porous sorbent materials, silica and potassium promoted hydrotalcite, under relevant conditions and assessed performance with techno-economics. The ability to apply 3D printing is already a huge development in improving the performance of CCUS. This key milestone has led to the production of a blueprint of the technology for further implementation in pilot-scale facilities.

The development of this new technique enabled by 3D printing will realize high energy efficiency, meaning significant cost-saving and substantially lower CO2 emissions with effective and affordable technologies. These advances in cost reductions are specifically interesting for the oil and gas industry, power plants, steel plants, and the chemical industry.