Carbonco, a subsidiary of South Korean construction company DL E&C specializing in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, announced on April 22 that it has developed a next-generation carbon dioxide absorbent. The innovation is expected to contribute to the expansion of the company’s eco-friendly business portfolio and bolster its position in the global green tech market.
CO₂ absorbents are essential materials used to capture carbon emissions generated during the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Carbonco’s newly developed product significantly reduces the energy consumption required during the CO₂ capture process, thereby lowering operational costs.
The absorbent consumes only 2.15 gigajoules (GJ) of energy to capture one metric ton of CO₂—more than 46% less energy than the commonly used monoethanolamine (MEA). This efficiency is comparable to that of the best-performing absorbents currently on the market, developed by global companies such as BASF, Shell, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Carbonco recently validated the performance of its absorbent at the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre (ACCTC) in Canada using a 6-ton-per-day (TPD) pilot system. The company plans to install a pilot facility at the Pocheon Combined Cycle Power Plant in May, where it will begin full-scale demonstration testing.
The development process, which typically takes about 10 years, was shortened to just three. This milestone was achieved following the recruitment of Dr. Shim Jae-goo, a leading CCUS expert formerly with the Korea Electric Power Corporation’s research institute. Dr. Shim previously led the development of “KoSol,” the only domestically developed absorbent to reach commercialization.
The global CCUS market is growing rapidly. According to industry research firm IndustriaQ, the market is projected to expand at an average annual rate of 29%, reaching $25.3 billion by next year.
