CarbonFree, Sekisui advance CO₂-to-chemicals projects

Two firms recently struck deals to bring their technology for carbon capture and use closer to the market. CarbonFree, which is developing a technology to react CO₂ with calcium and magnesium salts to make limestone and baking soda, has brought on the engineering firm Fluor to scale up its process from its long-running pilot systems. CarbonFree says it aims to eventually capture 10% of the world’s industrial CO₂ emissions. Separately, the steelmaker ArcelorMittal will test a CO₂ recycling process developed by Sekisui Chemical. During the 3-year, $1.9 million trial, Sekisui’s system will capture CO₂ emitted during steel production, convert it into a carbon monoxide–hydrogen mixture, then pipe it back upstream to chemically reduce more iron ore.