GreenCap Solutions to test novel carbon capture technology in aluminium production

GreenCap Solutions has announced the launch of a demonstration project to test its carbon capture technology in primary aluminium production. The initiative targets the challenge of capturing CO₂ from low-concentration point sources, one of the most significant hurdles in the aluminium industry. 

The direct emissions of CO₂ from the electrolysis process in primary aluminium production is approximately 1.5 kg of CO₂ per kg of liquid aluminium. However, the low concentration of CO₂ in the flue gases, around 1 per cent, poses a major obstacle to effective capture. GreenCap will validate its novel carbon capture technology in collaboration with Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro.

We are very excited to partner with Hydro to advance our carbon capture technology for industrial applications. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our strategy to collaborate with reputable industry leaders to scale our unique solutions”, says Ronny Bergerud, COO at GreenCap Solutions. 

GreenCap’s carbon capture process is based on physical adsorption using a solid sorbent, without the use of chemicals. The technology is energy-efficient, modular, and well-suited for low-concentration sources. It has already been demonstrated in practical operation through Direct Air Capture (DAC) units and applied in CO₂ recovery solutions in agriculture, as well as in industrial applications requiring CO₂-free air.

“We need a cost-efficient solution to capture the process emissions from our primary aluminium plants, and we pursue several pathways of technology development to find the best one. GreenCap’s current demonstrators and their great work so far show that their solution has promising potential, and we are eager to test it as one of several carbon capture technologies now being evaluated for industrial-scale application,” says Morten Landsgård, Head of Electrolysis Decarbonization of Hydro Aluminium Metal.

The project aims to verify the performance of GreenCap’s capture technology against real flue gas streams from industry, and to reduce risk ahead of full-scale implementation. A key objective is to document how impurities in the flue gas affect material performance and CO₂ capture efficiency. 

The project is carried out in the period between May 2025 and May 2026. It is supported by Norwegian state enterprise Gassnova through the CLIMIT program, which promotes the testing, verification, and scaling of new carbon capture technologies.

Green Technology for Efficient Carbon Capture

GreenCap Solutions has developed a technology that captures CO₂ from air and flue gas using zeolite adsorption, a process that requires neither chemicals nor water. At the heart of the system is a cassette filter filled with small zeolite beads that act as highly effective sorbents. These beads absorb CO₂ from the gas, and once the filter is saturated, it is regenerated by flushing with hot air. The result is CO₂ with a purity of nearly 100 per cent, ready for storage or reuse. 

The process consists of three main steps: gas pretreatment, CO₂ adsorption, and zeolite regeneration. First, the gas is dried and cooled to ensure optimal conditions for the zeolite. It then passes through a reactor where CO₂ is efficiently removed, leaving an extremely dry gas almost free of CO₂. Finally, the filter is regenerated through a controlled heating and cooling cycle, which releases the captured CO₂ while simultaneously recovering thermal energy for the next cycle.

This energy-efficient process makes the technology particularly well-suited for both direct air capture (DAC) and point-source capture from low-concentration sources – areas where many other solutions are costly and less effective. The use of standardised off-the-shelf components, combined with a patented process, makes the system both reliable and scalable. 

With more than 100,000 operating hours in testing, GreenCap Solutions now has a mature technology ready for demonstration and industrial deployment. The solution enables climate-friendly value creation while making a meaningful contribution toward achieving net-zero emission goals. 

Note: This article has been issued by GreenCap and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.