From Emissions to Resource: Can CO₂ Be Used in New Industry?
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Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has for many years been viewed as a problem, because it is the main cause of climate change. Now researchers and engineers are working on a new idea: CO₂ can also be a resource. Tekna, a Norwegian organisation for engineers and natural scientists, writes about how one can move from treating CO₂ as waste to using it as a raw material, or "feedstock," in production.
In practice, this means that CO₂ is captured from industrial plants or other sources and then used to make new products. One example is chemicals, which can be used in plastics, fuels or building materials. The technology is still under development. Many processes require a lot of energy, and it is important that the energy comes from renewable sources if the method is to deliver real climate benefit.
Norway already has experience with CO₂ management. The Northern Lights project is a large Norwegian facility for transporting and storing CO₂ beneath the seabed on the Vestlandet coast. The project shows that it is possible to handle large amounts of CO₂ in a safe way. At the same time, the question of reuse remains relevant: Can CO₂ become part of a new circular economy, where emissions become value instead of simply being stored?
There are still many uncertainties. Costs are high, and it is not clear which solutions will be best in the long term. Experts nevertheless point out that the combination of capture, storage and reuse could become an important part of efforts to reduce emissions. The development will therefore be followed closely in the years to come.
Sources: Tekna
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