Avantium awarded $3.1M grant to demonstrate conversion of CO2 to consumer products

In The Netherlands, Avantium was awarded a $3.1 million (€3 million) grant by EU Horizon Europe for its participation in the 4-year research and development program WaterProof, which aims to demonstrate the value of electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into high-value chemicals and products. The €3 million grant will be paid out in tranches to Avantium over a period of four years.

One of Avantium’s innovative technology platforms is called Volta Technology and uses electrochemistry to convert CO2 to high-value products and chemical building blocks such as formic acid, oxalic acid and glycolic acid. The latter two are key building blocks for polyesters and other materials, allowing production of CO2 negative plastics.

The WaterProof programme aims to demonstrate the full value chain of a closed carbon cycle. Under this programme, Avantium will convert CO2, from wastewater purification and waste incineration into formic acid using its proprietary catalytic electrochemistry platform. This formic acid can then be used to make new consumer products. This project will demonstrate that competitive and profitable business opportunities can be created by turning CO2 into value-added products.