Researchers Develop a Bacteria-Based Solution to Capture CO2 Emissions from Cement Production

Brief

In 2021, the cement industry was responsible for 7% of global CO2 emissions. Researchers have developed a bacteria-based solution that captures CO2 during cement production, using an enzyme that binds CO2 to limestone. The technology mimics the way ocean corals capture CO2, and has huge potential for other industries.

Insight

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen are working on a solution to reduce carbon emissions from the cement industry, which accounts for more than 7% of global CO2 emissions.By transferring genes from microorganisms to bacteria, they have succeeded in creating an enzyme that can quickly and efficiently bind CO2 to calcium carbonate, one of the main ingredients in cement.

This process mimics the way ocean corals capture CO2 to build calcium carbonate structures, but instead of taking centuries, the bacteria can accomplish this in just a few minutes. The researchers are working to make the enzyme production even more efficient, with the goal of scaling up the process for implementation in cement factories.

The end goal is to capture CO2 rather than let it leak into the atmosphere, by using a bioreactor with specially designed bacteria that can capture the CO2 released during heating. If successful, the process could be used in other industries as well. While the solution has only been tested in the lab so far, the potential for the technology is huge.