Carbon capture pilot plant

RISE’s mobile CO₂ capture pilot (a complete 20-foot container system) enables testing of novel capture solvents under industrial flue-gas conditions [1] [2]. Designed for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture applications, the pilot addresses one of the sector’s greatest challenges: reducing the high energy demand and cost of commercial CO₂ capture. By bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial deployment, the facility delivers critical performance data to support technology scale-up and commercialization. The pilot directly contributes to Horizon Europe’s climate ambitions for a net-zero energy system by demonstrating BECCS and CCUS technologies at TRL 5–7 [3][4].  

Pilot overview

RISE CO₂ capture facility is designed for testing a broad range of solvents. including amines, hot potassium carbonate (HPC) and advanced solvents (eutectic mixtures, ionic liquids). 

The RISE pilot plant is a mobile post-combustion CO₂ capture testbed for continuous operation on site. A slipstream of industrial flue gas from partner sites can be connected directly to the pilot without additional pre-treatment, enabling direct evaluation of carbon capture performance. Flue gas is fed through an absorber column where CO₂ is bound to the solvent and then regenerated (stripped) in a second column to release pure CO₂ for compression. While this process is well known, RISE’s pilot focuses on testing next-generation solvents that lower energy requirements. For example, traditional amine solutions can be compared against new eutectic solvent mixtures that achieve higher captures with cutting down on heat duty. 

RISE researchers can supply and prepare the latest promising solvent candidates for testing.

Key benefits: Consortium members gain hands-on validation of their capture media with real emissions, benchmarking data across different industrial streams, and early risk reduction for full-scale deployments. In effect, the pilot is a pre-commercial demonstration hub that transforms R&D knowledge into industrial readiness. 

• Real flue gas testing: On-site trials replicate real industrial conditions using flue gas from biomass, pulp mills, and cement production.
• Solvent screening: Comparative testing evaluates novel solvents against benchmark amine-based capture systems.
• Process data: Continuous monitoring provides performance metrics (capture rate, energy use, solvent make-up) for techno-economic studies.
• Operational expertise: Pilot-scale operation validates equipment performance and process control strategies, helping reduce technical risk and support efficient scale-up.

Readiness levels & scale-up pathway 

The RISE pilot bridges mid-range Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), a key concept in EU research and innovation programs. RISE’s pilot operates roughly at TRL 5-6: it tests and demonstrates a complete CO₂ capture process on relevant industrial flue gas. This positions the pilot as a critical bridge between lab R&D (TRL3-4) and full-scale deployment (TRL8-9). By providing a realistic demonstration environment, RISE helps advance novel carbon capture technologies along the TRL pathway toward commercial readiness. 

A simple TRL pathway for carbon capture is:

• Lab R&D (TRL3-4): New solvent chemistry proven in small-scale experiments.
• Pilot demonstration (TRL5-7): Testing in a controlled but realistic setting (the RISE pilot)
• Full-scale deployment (TRL8-9): Commercial plant integrated into an industrial facility (system complete and proven)

The pilot’s data and knowledge are relevant for engineering a larger plant. In Horizon Europe terms, this facility is ideal for projects aiming at TRL5-7 milestones. For example, upcoming Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) calls explicitly seek near-to-market CCUS solutions with TRL6-8 by project end. By partnering with RISE, consortiums can better meet these targets.

Horizon Europe collaboration

This pilot is promising for Horizon Europe demonstration projects aiming at TRL 5-7 [3][4]. In Horizon terms, these levels correspond to “technology validated” up to “system prototype demonstrated” [3]. RISE can participate as an infrastructure/pilot host, leading or co-leading Work Packages on demo/validation, or as a task partner providing expertise in solvent/media benchmarking and techno-economic data. Our established track record and facilities mean partners can hit the ground running.

Cluster 5 alignment: The pilot directly addresses Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy & Mobility) objectives of net-zero energy and industry. Horizon’s Destination 3 (“Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply”) calls for cost-effective CO₂ capture solutions. For example, the DACCS/BECCS topic in 2024 explicitly targets raising TRL of negative-emission technologies [6][4]. By validating capture processes under real flue conditions, the RISE pilot helps meet EU targets for 55% emissions reduction by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050 [7].

Key cluster topics include:

• CO₂ capture integration at industrial sites.
• Evaluation of negative emissions pathways for climate targets.
• Decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries (pulp/paper, cement, steel, etc.).
• Demonstration of new solvent/capture tech at relevant scale.

Sample use cases

Potential use cases (building on the pilot’s capabilities) include:

• Pulp/Paper and Biomass: On-site capture testing at pulp mills or biomass plants, helping these facilities move toward negative emissions.
• Cement and Steel: Screening capture performance on flue gas from kilns or furnaces with high CO₂ content.
• Cross-sector Benchmarking: Running the same solvent on flue gas from different industries to compare performance metrics.
• Techno-economic Data Generation: Capturing pilot operation data to refine cost and energy models for full-scale projects.

Typical EU use cases

• Novel solvent testing: Benchmark new absorbents (e.g. eutectic solvents, ionic liquids[SF1] ) against standard amines under actual plant gases [5].
• Cross-sector comparison: Evaluate capture performance across industries (cement, energy, pulp, etc.) to generalize learnings.
• New data generation: Produce real-world capture efficiency and energy-use data for techno-economic analyses and impact assessments [2].
• Tech transfer: De-risk scale-up by validating lab concepts (TRL 3-4) at pilot scale (TRL 5-7) before full-scale investment.

Contact & next steps

For Horizon Europe project ideas or industrial trials, reach out early to RISE team. We can discuss consortium roles, project planning and work package design. The pilot is ready for booking and RISE experts are available for joint proposal writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What TRL level is this pilot?

A: The pilot operates at about TRL 5-6 (validation in a relevant environment) and can help projects reach TRL 7 (prototype demonstration) [3][4]. It effectively covers the gap between lab tests (TRL 3-4) and full-scale CCS plants (TRL 8-9).

Q: Can our company use it?

A: Yes. The pilot is designed for industrial partners to test CO₂ capture on their unique emissions. Each site’s flue-gas composition is taken into account, giving reliable indications of capture fraction and purity.

Q: How do we involve RISE in our Horizon proposal?

A: Outline RISE’s role as host and data provider in your proposal. We can also co-design the WP and contribute impact and technical sections. Contact us for proposal planning.

[1] [2] [5] 

https://www.ri.se/en/energy-and-electrification/energy-optimisation/test-demo/carbon-capture-pilot-plant

[3] 

https://horizoneuropencpportal.eu/sites/default/files/2022-12/trl-assessment-tool-guide-final.pdf

[4] [6] [7] 

https://www.horizon-europe.gouv.fr/daccs-and-beccs-co2-removalnegative-emissions-33106

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