The CatVIC project (Catalytic Valorization of Industrial Carbon) is a French-German initiative supported by the French and German ministries of Research, MESRI and BMBF, respectively. CatVIC project is funded by ANR and BMBF and it started in October. The project targets the development of a highly innovative Power-to-X system, based on green hydrogen production using high-temperature electrolysis technology, and on advanced catalytic options for the valorization of inevitable CO2 emissions from energy-intensive industries.
The goal of the CatVIC project is to propose an efficient scheme for the large-scale conversion of intermittent renewable energy. The economic viability of the proposed scheme will be ensured by converting CO2 using this energy in the form of valuable chemicals (Power-to-X). The CatVIC project is built around a replicable case study, which consists in closing the carbon loop of greenhouse gas emitters located in a chemical industrial park (Roches-Roussillon Chemical Platform, Roussillon, France).
The strategic ambitions of the CatVIC partners (MPI CEC, CEA-Liten, Entrepose Group, Osiris-GIE, Sunfire and Clariant) are aligned with respect to research and innovation for the sustainable energy transition. This highly ambitious research cooperation between France and Germany will contribute to strengthen the European leadership in clean energy technologies, and will in particular support the emerging European hydrogen industry. Through this flagship project, France and Germany will position themselves as role models for the ongoing energy transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
The consortium sees Power-to-X as a very promising solution to convert large amounts of intermittent renewable energy into hydrocarbon molecules, and to close the carbon cycle of greenhouse gas industrial emitters in the context of a circular economy.
CatVIC is a three years project devoted to scientific investigations and technological developments at laboratory scale (TRL 1-5). Techno-economic, socio-economic and environmental assessments will be performed in order to validate the feasibility and positive impact of the overall Power-to-X process with respect to multi-factorial considerations. The CatVIC project will be followed by the construction of a pilot plant (TRL 5-7) in a chemical industrial park integrating more than 15 different companies (Roches-Roussillon Chemical Platform) in order to demonstrate the cost-effective and carbon-mitigating operation of the innovative Power-to-X unit and to answer the industrial park needs in terms of commodity chemicals (methanol, olefins, hydrogen etc.).
The CatVIC project is sponsored by