CO2SMOS · Advanced chemicals production from biogenic CO2 emissions for circular bio-based industries

Biorefinery industries are in a unique position to lead the way in turning CO2 emissions into added-value chemicals due to their intrinsic keenness towards innovation and their potential to transform their biogenic CO2 waste streams into bio-based chemicals that can be integrated within their own processes in a circular way. CO2SMOS aims to develop a platform of technologies to transform CO2 emissions produced by bio-based industries into a set a of high added-value chemicals with direct use as intermediates for bio-based products. The result is a toolbox combining intensified chemical conversions (electrocatalytic and membrane reactors) and innovative biotechnological solutions based on gas/liquid combined fermentation processes and organic/green-catalysts reaction processes, which allow versatile production, depending on the available resources and the targeted value chains, of seven different bio-based chemicals. These molecules will be validated as renewable CO2-based commodities for the formulation of high-performance biopolymers and renewable chemicals. The five breakthrough technologies involved in CO2SMOS will ensure low energy use (< 50 kWh/kg of CO2-based chemical), low production cost (< 1.75 €/kg), high product yield (up to 68% the ideal yield) and an outstanding GHG-abatement potential (avoiding of up to 10 additional kg of CO2 per each kg used as feedstock), which will contribute to the sustainability and cost competitiveness of the integrated conversion processes. Integration of CO2SMOS concept in existing and emerging biorefineries (supported by Scale Up and Replication plans) will contribute to expand the business portfolio and strengthen the economic base of the sector. A campaign to assess social acceptance of CO2SMOS solutions and to promote awareness of their environmental, social and economic benefits is also foreseen. The consortium counts on academic, RTO and industrial partners with two major actors in the biorefinery sector.