Nuada Starts Carbon Capture Trials with Buzzi to Accelerate the Decarbonisation of the Cement Industry

Nuada's pilot plant has commenced operations, capturing CO2 emissions from the stack of Buzzi Unicem’s cement facility in Monselice, Italy.
Jun 25, 2024

Nuada announces the launch of its pilot plant operation at Buzzi Unicem’s cement facility in Monselice, Italy. Buzzi, an Italian cement company with global operations, is trialling Nuada’s advanced carbon capture technology as a solution to produce low-carbon cement, leading the way in cement industry decarbonisation.  

This pilot project marks a significant milestone in carbon capture innovation demonstrating the performance of Nuada’s next-generation technology within a cement manufacturing setting Nuada has developed an energy-efficient carbon capture solution by combining advanced solid sorbents named Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with a mature vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process. This innovative, electrically powered system separates CO2 from industrial flue gases using pressure instead of heat and offers a promising approach to overcoming the energy, cost, and integration challenges associated with deploying traditional carbon capture solutions in industry.

“We are deploying the most energy-efficient carbon capture technology developed to date, a solution that redefines the decarbonisation landscape for hard-to-abate sectors like cement,” said Dr. Conor Hamill, Co-CEO of Nuada. Dr. Jose Casaban, Co-CEO of Nuada added “This plant demonstrates the robustness, scalability and game-changing benefits of our innovative capture system. Together with Buzzi, we are demonstrating the future of carbon capture in cement.”

This MOF-based VPSA carbon capture plant is fully operational now, capturing 1 tonne of CO2 per day from cement flue gas. The project is backed by the Global Concrete and Cement Association (GCCA) and was initiated through GCCA’s Innovandi Open Challenge programme an initiative that fosters collaborations between major cement producers and innovative technology providers to decarbonise cement production. The cement sector currently accounts for 7% of global carbon emissions, and according to the GCCA’s Net Zero Roadmap, carbon capture is the main decarbonisation lever.

“Our company has always been at the forefront of technology and search for innovative solutions” said Luigi Buzzi, CTO at Buzzi. “We are excited to host Nuada’s advanced carbon capture technology and start the pilot test campaign in Monselice: we look forward to confirm the high expectations that Nuada technology can play a leading role in the cement industry’s decarbonization journey”

Buzzi confirms their willingness to delve deeper into this and other technical issues, to raise awareness among the community of the efforts made towards the ambitious goal of Net Zero, i.e. carbon neutrality, set for 2050.

About Nuada

Nuada is a carbon capture company poised to decarbonise heavy industries through its next-generation point-source capture technology. The company builds energy-efficient filtration machines that capture CO2 from industrial off-gases, empowering emitters in hard-to-abate sectors to reduce their carbon footprint with minimum impact on their bottom line.

www.nuadaCO2.com

About Buzzi

Buzzi is an international multi-regional group based in Casale Monferrato (AL) focused on the production of cement and ready-mix concrete. It operates in 14 countries and employs approximately 10,000 people (1,500 in Italy). The group operates with fairness, consistency, long-term vision, stable shareholders and dedicated management. It pursues value creation through deep know-how, process innovation, efficient and environmentally friendly assets, offering own customers increasingly sustainable high-quality products.

www.buzzi.com

About Buzzi Unicem

Buzzi Unicem is an Italian company belonging to the Buzzi group and is focused on the production and sale of cement and aggregates. Buzzi Unicem employs approximately 1,500 people, it is present in Italy with 8 cement plants and 3 grinding plants.

www.buzziunicem.it