Context

Renewable energy, hydrogen, and low-carbon footprint fuels will be key to advances in decarbonization. However, to be carbon-neutral, it won’t be enough to stop emitting CO₂, rather, according to organisms such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), or UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), it will also be necessary to capture the CO₂ produced by human activity.

In this context, Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage technologies (CCUS) will play a prominent role and contribute to achieving the 1.5 degrees Celsius target: to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century.

Opportunity

Industry is transforming itself with the development and implementation of technological solutions that are less and less emissions-intensive. CCUS technologies, therefore, are a perfect complement that will allow us to reduce CO₂ emissions in sectors such as electric and mobility, or in intensive industries with high energy use, such as steel, cement, etc. that generate CO₂ in their processes, which is impossible to reduce with other decarbonization paths. 

These technologies are able to capture CO₂ before it is released into the atmosphere (in high-concentration sources) and even capture already-existing CO₂ with Direct Air Capture (DAC). Furthermore, the CO₂ captured can be used as raw material to produce synthetic fuels or construction materials.

What we are looking for

The level of development of CO₂-capture technologies is still in its infancy and there are opportunities to improve efficiency in capture and scale processes, as well as extend its use as a raw material.

We are looking for technological solutions prepared to be integrated in industrial production processes that contribute to the total reduction of metric tons of CO₂ emitted in any production process based on amines, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), calcium looping or membranes, that guarantee the total absorption of metric tons of CO₂ emitted in any industrial production process, as well as carbon footprint and energy consumption (calorie and electric). We will also consider the potential to generate employment and new technological skills in industrial sectors.

Context

Water is a valuable and vital resource for all human activity. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), global demand for water will increase 50% by 2030 and the growth forecast in industry between 2017 and 2050 will be 400%. To meet this upcoming demand, it is necessary to promote solutions related to managing and re-utilizing this resource to limit freshwater consumption and designate it exclusively to human consumption or agriculture.

Opportunity

In the circular economy framework, regenerating and re-utilizing water in industry is an essential tool for reducing consumption and preserving such a valuable resource.

It is necessary to implement technologies to achieve greater efficiency in water consumption in all processes, reduce, and even eliminate freshwater consumption, as well as re-utilize water with regeneration processes using non-fresh water (treated and desalinated water). All of these solutions will help reduce the impact associated with any industrial activity processes.

What we are looking for

We are looking for solutions that decrease freshwater harvesting, which contributes to achieving the 2050 freshwater harvesting objective.  Likewise, we will consider positive measures to reduce consumption in industrial processes, recovery of water resources, harvesting and water management solutions with mature/pre-commercial technologies, zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) technologies to concentrate waste, which facilitate maximum regeneration and minimal costs for evaporation/crystallization, as well as measures to reduce costs of conventional desalination (3-5 kwh/m³).

Context

Hydrogen has been used in industrial processes for decades. Right now, at a time when industry is experiencing unprecedented transformations, hydrogen will continue to be necessary. However, in this transition, renewable hydrogen is a disrupting factor, with an essential energy vector for decarbonizing industrial sectors such as mobility, iron and steel, and energy.

This renewable hydrogen can be used as a raw material in industry to generate heat or electricity, or for mobility. Likewise, it can be a solution for storing surplus renewable solar and wind energy.

Opportunity

Producing, installing, and making use of renewable hydrogen at a competitive price is a necessity for several industrial sectors, since its universal application would contribute to a substantial change toward a more sustainable future.

In this sense, developing efficient and effective electrolytic processes that can generate hydrogen at a competitive price, along with attainable installation and usage costs, will be key to accelerating the integration of these systems. To do so, it is necessary to implement technologies that aim to significantly improve the current low, medium, and high temperature commercial technologies.

What we are looking for

Optimizing hydrogen production, and ensuring its reliability and competitiveness, is key to decarbonizing industry. To do so, flexibility and adaptation to industrial processes regarding hydrogen use is required, reducing the need for temporary or mid-term storage, as well as validating new production alternatives for renewable hydrogen for later use as a reducing agent, fuel, raw material to develop synthetic fuels, or for other renewable hydrocarbons.

We are looking for technological solutions to develop advanced electrolytic processes in addition to options to facilitate secure hydrogen transport and storage.

Context

According to a report from the World Bank, 2.01 billion metric tons of urban waste are generated globally each year, and at least 33% is not treated. In other words, they end up being dumped in landfills, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

However, a large amount of this disposed waste has great potential, since it can be reintroduced in the production chain, and thus drive circularity.

Opportunity

Waste that ends up in landfills includes materials that could be valuable from an energy or material standpoint in other sectors if there were adequate separation and treatment of this waste.

Re-purposing this waste presents an opportunity to reduce its volume and consolidate the circular economy model. Industry needs to have access to alternative fuels and raw materials coming from waste that reduce the consumption of natural resources.

What we are looking for

We are looking for all kinds of gasification or pyrolysis technologies with a significant generation of syngas, especially those that include integrated post-treatment to maximize hydrogen and carbon monoxide content with a low concentration of CO₂ and H₂O in the gas current.