CCU technology turns COâ‚‚ emissions into value-added products by using energy to break carbon dioxide molecules apart, releasing carbon monoxide and other reactive molecules that serve as feedstocks for fuels, chemicals, and materials. Rather than storing captured carbon underground, carbon capture and utilization converts it directly into industrial inputs that replace fossil-derived raw materials. The sections below unpack how each step works, which industries benefit, and what makes modern CCU systems commercially viable.

What products can be made from recycled CO2?

Recycled COâ‚‚ can be converted into carbon monoxide (CO), syngas (a mixture of CO and hydrogen), synthetic fuels, e-methanol, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), polymers, and a range of commodity chemicals including acetic acid and polycarbonates. The specific output depends on the conversion route and the downstream process the feedstock feeds into.

Carbon monoxide is the most direct product of COâ‚‚ splitting. It is a foundational building block in industrial chemistry, used as a reducing agent in steelmaking and as a precursor to a wide range of organic chemicals. When COâ‚‚ is combined with a hydrocarbon source such as biomethane, the output shifts to syngas, a CO and hydrogen mixture that feeds synthetic fuel pathways and chemical synthesis routes.

From syngas, industrial operators can produce e-methanol, which itself serves as a fuel or chemical intermediate, and SAF via established Fischer-Tropsch or methanol-to-jet processes. Syngas can also be directed toward olefin production, enabling the manufacture of plastics and polymers from circular carbon rather than fossil naphtha. Across all these routes, the common thread is that COâ‚‚ stops being a waste stream and becomes the carbon backbone of new industrial value chains. You can explore the range of carbon monoxide feedstock applications that this conversion enables in practice.

How does plasma technology convert CO2 into usable feedstock?

Plasma technology converts COâ‚‚ into usable feedstock by using electrically energized gas, plasma, to selectively break the bond between carbon and oxygen atoms. The result is carbon monoxide, produced without combustion, without fossil fuels, and without generating byproducts such as carbon black. The process runs on renewable electricity, making it a fully electrified conversion pathway.

Inside a plasma reactor, electrical energy is used to ionize a gas stream, creating a highly reactive environment where COâ‚‚ molecules are dissociated at the molecular level. Unlike thermal cracking, which requires extreme and sustained heat, plasma activation is selective: it targets specific chemical bonds while operating at ambient pressure. This precision reduces energy waste and avoids unwanted side reactions.

D-CRBN’s patented Plasma ARCâ„¢ platform supports two distinct conversion routes from a single reactor design. The first splits COâ‚‚-rich streams directly into carbon monoxide using a continuous feed of solid carbon such as biochar or carbon waste. The second combines COâ‚‚ with biomethane inside the reactor to produce syngas without requiring any external hydrogen input. Both routes use the same underlying reactor architecture, which is fully electrified, modular, and operable at ambient pressure, eliminating the need for pressure vessels or vacuum systems.

Pilot results have demonstrated a 90.5% COâ‚‚ conversion rate in a single pass, with an energy requirement of 1,100 kWh per tonne of COâ‚‚, a figure that is at least five times more efficient than conventional reverse water-gas shift technology. The reactor can also be switched on and off rapidly, allowing it to run on intermittent renewable electricity and optimize around energy price fluctuations. You can review the full technical architecture on the D-CRBN technology page.

What is the difference between CCU and CCS?

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) converts captured COâ‚‚ into useful products such as fuels, chemicals, or materials. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) compresses captured COâ‚‚ and injects it underground for permanent geological storage. The fundamental difference is that CCU creates economic value from COâ‚‚, while CCS treats it as a liability to be permanently removed from circulation.

CCS requires significant infrastructure for compression, transport, and long-term geological monitoring. It also carries ongoing liability for stored carbon and does not generate any return on the captured COâ‚‚ itself. For industries operating under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), CCS reduces the carbon liability but does not generate a new revenue stream or reduce fossil feedstock dependency.

CCU, by contrast, closes the carbon loop. Captured COâ‚‚ re-enters the industrial value chain as a feedstock, displacing fossil-derived inputs and generating a product that can be sold or used internally. This means CCU technology can deliver both a carbon reduction benefit and a direct commercial return, making it structurally more attractive for industrial operators who are also managing input cost pressures. For hard-to-abate sectors where fossil feedstocks are embedded in core processes, CCU offers a pathway that CCS simply cannot: the ability to decarbonize production while maintaining or improving the economics of that production.

Which industries benefit most from CO2 recycling technology?

The industries that benefit most from COâ‚‚ recycling technology are those that generate large volumes of COâ‚‚-rich off-gases and simultaneously depend on carbon-based feedstocks in their core processes. Steel production, chemicals and petrochemicals, and synthetic fuel manufacturing are the primary verticals because they can both supply the COâ‚‚ input and directly use the carbon monoxide or syngas output.

Steel production

Steel plants emit substantial quantities of COâ‚‚-rich process gases from blast furnaces and direct reduction operations. CCU technology allows these operators to capture that COâ‚‚ and convert it back into carbon monoxide, which can then be recycled as a reducing agent in the furnace itself, cutting coal consumption and reducing reliance on externally sourced reducing agents. This circular use of carbon within the steelmaking process is one of the most direct and economically compelling applications of COâ‚‚ recycling. D-CRBN’s plasma technology was first tested at an industrial steel facility, validating this exact use case at scale.

Chemicals and petrochemicals

Chemical producers depend on carbon monoxide and syngas as feedstocks for a wide range of products, from acetic acid and polycarbonates to methanol and olefins. CCU technology allows these companies to source those feedstocks from captured industrial COâ‚‚ rather than from fossil-derived natural gas or coal. This substitution reduces both the carbon intensity of the final product and the company’s exposure to fossil feedstock price volatility. Electrified syngas production from COâ‚‚ and biomethane opens additional pathways toward synthetic fuels and circular polymer production.

Synthetic fuel and e-fuel producers

Producers of sustainable aviation fuel, e-methanol, and other synthetic fuels require a reliable, low-carbon source of syngas. CCU technology provides exactly that, particularly through the biogas-to-syngas route where COâ‚‚ and biomethane are co-processed in a plasma reactor to generate green syngas without external hydrogen. This makes CCU a critical enabling technology for the emerging e-fuels sector, where feedstock sourcing is currently one of the primary cost and supply chain challenges.

How does CO2 recycling reduce ETS costs for industrial operators?

COâ‚‚ recycling reduces ETS costs for industrial operators by converting point-source emissions into feedstock before they are released into the atmosphere, directly lowering the volume of COâ‚‚ for which the operator must surrender allowances. Fewer reportable emissions mean fewer ETS allowances required, which translates into a direct reduction in carbon compliance costs.

Under the EU Emissions Trading System, industrial operators pay for every tonne of COâ‚‚ they emit above their free allocation. As ETS allowance prices have risen and free allocations have tightened, this cost has become a material line item for heavy industry. CCU technology addresses this at the source: by capturing COâ‚‚-rich off-gases and converting them into carbon monoxide or syngas on-site, operators reduce their net emissions before the compliance calculation is made.

There is an additional dimension beyond direct ETS savings. When an industrial operator produces carbon monoxide or syngas from recycled COâ‚‚ rather than from fossil inputs, the carbon footprint of the resulting product is lower. In sectors where downstream customers or regulators apply carbon intensity requirements, such as in fuel supply chains covered by the Renewable Energy Directive, this lower-carbon feedstock can carry a price premium or enable market access that fossil-derived alternatives cannot. The combination of reduced compliance costs and improved product carbon credentials creates a dual financial incentive for adopting CCU technology. If you want to explore what this looks like for your facility, the electrify your feedstock pathway is a practical starting point.

Can CCU technology integrate into existing industrial infrastructure?

Yes, modern CCU technology is specifically designed to integrate into existing industrial infrastructure without requiring operators to replace or decommission current assets. D-CRBN’s plasma systems are modular, containerized, and engineered to work with the gas streams and process conditions already present at industrial facilities, functioning as an add-on to existing production rather than a replacement for it.

The plasma reactor operates at ambient pressure, which eliminates the need for pressure vessels, specialized containment infrastructure, or major civil works. The system’s main structural component is steel, keeping capital costs low and avoiding the supply chain complexity associated with rare-earth materials or exotic geometries. CAPEX is approximately 50% lower than comparable reverse water-gas shift technology, and OPEX is around 30% lower, driven by the high energy efficiency of the plasma conversion process.

Each modular unit is capable of converting approximately 2,000 tonnes of COâ‚‚ per year per square meter of installation footprint, meaning meaningful processing capacity can be added within the physical constraints of an existing plant. The reactor’s instant on/off capability allows it to be synchronized with renewable energy availability and grid price signals, so it can operate during periods of low-cost or surplus renewable electricity without disrupting baseline production.

Scalability is built into the deployment model. Operators can begin with a minimal unit to validate performance within their specific process environment and expand capacity incrementally through additional modular units. This phased approach reduces upfront risk and allows the CCU system to grow alongside the operator’s decarbonization roadmap. To discuss how an electrified feedstock system could fit your operations, the D-CRBN team works directly with industrial partners to design site-specific solutions. You can also review the on-site CO production options to understand the deployment configurations available at different scales.

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