EXCLUSIVE by Scottish Energy News
A team of academics from Aberdeen University has entered the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, a global competition that challenges teams to develop technologies to convert carbon dioxide into valuable products.
The competition is designed to address CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and offers a $20 million prize to the winners to help fund the development and commercialisation of their technologies.
The Aberdeen team – The Carbon Capture Machine – is developing Carbon Capture Machines (CCMs) that convert CO2 from flue gas into useful feedstock materials and products.
This technology will be put to the test in the Carbon XPRIZE, where the team will compete against 46 international competitors to claim the top prize.
Led by Dr Mohammed Imbabi from the university’s School of Engineering, core members of the team include Dr Claudia Martin, lecturer in Chemical Engineering, Professor Fred Glasser, Chair in Chemistry, and Dr Zoe Morrison, senior lecturer in Management Studies.
Dr Imbabi said: “The world produces so much CO2 that we are now at risk of seriously damaging our planet, and one of the ways to remedy the situation is to develop and implement carbon capture and utilisation on an industrial scale.
“Aberdeen University is world-leading in this area of research, which has led to development of the concept of modular Carbon Capture Machines that capture CO2 from a variety of sources to produce solid carbonate feedstocks and thereafter into commercially viable products, such as cements and concretes.
“Unlike many other proposed carbon capture and utilisation techniques our technology isn’t capacity constrained and can capture CO2from any emission source, meaning that it offers potential to be rolled out globally.”
Sponsorship opportunities are available for companies interested in supporting the Aberdeen team’s entry in the Carbon XPRIZE. For more information: june.middleton@abdn.ac.uk
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