European consortium launches new carbon capture and storage project

The €20mn DMX Demonstration in Dunkirk (3D) project, which is part of the Horizon 2020 EU research and innovation programme, aims to demonstrate the new DMX process for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at the industrial level, using the ArcelorMittal steelworks site in Dunkirk as a pilot site.

The pilot, designed by Axens, will begin construction in 2020 and will be able to capture 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per hour from steelmaking gases by 2021. The DMX process, a patented process stemming from IFPEN’s Research and to be marketed by Axens, uses a solvent that is claimed to reduce the energy consumption for capture by approximately 35%. Additionally, using the heat produced on site will cut capture costs in half, to less than €30 per tonne of CO2, says the consortium.

The 3D project’s ambition is to validate replicable technical solutions and to achieve industrial deployment of CCS technology around the world. It could play a major role in enabling industries with high energy consumption and CO2 emissions, such as the steel industry, to reduce their emissions.

Following the pilot, the consortium aims to implement its first industrial unit at the ArcelorMittal site, due to be operational from 2025. It should be able to capture more than 125 tonnes of CO2 per hour. This unit will be part of the European Dunkirk North Sea cluster, which aims to capture, pack, transport and store 10mn tonnes of CO2 per year once operational by 2035.