VTT says materials and chemicals the first commodities to be commercialized by carbon reuse

In Finland, VTT published a new report called “The Carbon Reuse Economy – Transforming CO2 from a pollutant into a resource” and presents its view on how carbon can be turned from a pollutant into a resource with a favorable impact on climate change.

It is already possible to make food protein from CO2 and emission-free electricity. When, in the future, part of the food needed by humankind will be made in bioreactors, field area will be freed for other uses. VTT has been developing a manufacturing method for proteins based on CO2 and emission-free electricity. It is currently being piloted by the start-up Solar Foods.

CO2 can be converted into different compounds using biotechnical and chemical conversion approaches. Biotechnical routes for CO2 conversion offer potential for higher value products, such as food ingredients, whereas chemical routes are efficient for bulk products, such as fuels and base chemicals. By utilising CO2 for chemicals and materials, it is possible to keep carbon within a cycle for longer compared to fuels.