CO2SMOS, new European project on biotechnological production of advanced chemicals from biogenic CO2 emissions for circular bio-based industries

The Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC) participates in the CO2SMOS European project (Advanced chemicals production from biogenic CO2 emissions for circular bio-based industries), a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) which is financed by the final EU Horizon 2020 program calls and has been granted with a total of 7 million euros. The project, coordinated by the CARTIF Technology Center (Boecillo/Valladolid, Spain), was launched with an online kick-off event on May 25-26, 2021.

The work at the CIB-CSIC will be led by Prof. José Luis García López, Head of the Environmental Biotechnology Group, together with Dr. Jorge Barriuso Maicas, senior research scientist at the Biotechnology for Lignocellulosic Biomass group. The CO2SMOS project is a collaboration of 3 universities, 5 technological centers, 6 industrial partners (SMEs and large industry), and 1 association from 7 European countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, The Netherland and Spain). 

Biorefinery industries are in a unique position to lead the way in turning CO₂ emissions into added-value chemicals due to their intrinsic keenness towards innovation and their potential to transform their biogenic CO₂ waste streams into bio-based chemicals that can be integrated within their own processes in a circular way. CO2SMOS aims to develop a platform of technologies to transform CO₂ emissions produced by bio-based industries into a set a of high added-value chemicals with direct use as intermediates for bio-based products. The result is a toolbox combining intensified chemical conversions (electro-catalytic and membrane reactors) and innovative biotechnological solutions based on gas/liquid combined fermentation processes and organic/green-catalysts reaction processes, which allow versatile production, depending on the available resources and the targeted value chains, of seven different bio-based chemicals. These molecules will be validated as renewable CO₂-based commodities for the formulation of high-performance biopolymers and renewable chemicals. The five breakthrough technologies involved in CO2SMOS will ensure low energy use, low production cost, high product yield and an outstanding Green House Gas (GHG)-abatement potential, which will contribute to the sustainability and cost competitiveness of the integrated conversion processes.

Integration of CO2SMOS concept in existing and emerging biorefineries will contribute to expand the business portfolio and strengthen the economic base of the sector. A campaign to assess social acceptance of CO2SMOS solutions and to promote awareness of their environmental, social and economic benefits is also foreseen. The consortium counts on academic, RTO and industrial partners including two major actors in the biorefinery sector.

Press release: link.

More information at: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101000790