Carbon2x – Recycled materials from CO2

Every year, Europeans generate nearly 100 million tonnes of unrecycled waste that is turned into energy. Fortum’s objective is to reuse, recycle and utilise as much of this waste stream as possible. Incineration is an important part of the current waste management system, but it needs improvement.

We at Fortum believe that all carbon belongs in circulation. This means that emissions, such as CO₂ from waste incineration, are also turned into new raw materials. To do this at scale, we need to rethink CO₂ in recycling.

Our solution is Carbon2x

The aim of the Carbon2x programme is to capture of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during waste incineration and turn it into sustainable products. At the same time, the Carbon2x programme has the potential to help improve the recycling rate of plastic packaging significantly. By adopting the concept at a large scale, the recycling rate of plastic packaging in Finland can be doubled compared to the current level by 2030.

Key benefits of Carbon2x

Circularity

Carbon2x increases the circulation of materials by complementing mechanical recycling.

Sustainable feedstock

Carbon2x turns waste into valuable feedstock for new products, such as high-quality plastic that could be used for food and pharmaceutical packaging.

Climate action

Carbon2x enables a lower carbon footprint by capturing and recycling carbon (CCU) from waste incineration. It can help decarbonise hundreds of waste-to-energy plants in Europe alone.

Closing the loop

The Carbon2x solution closes the loop of CO2 circulation, allowing the captured emissions return to circulation as recycled raw materials.

This is how CO2 becomes a valuable raw material

Carbon capture and utilisation

Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) is the key to not only cutting emissions, but also to keep them in circulation. With Carbon2x, waste can be used as energy and recycled on a molecular level – without emissions.

Phases of the Carbon2x pilot

The first phase of Carbon2x

The pilot was launched in 2022 at Fortum’s waste incineration plant in Riihimäki, Finland. In the first phase, the captured CO₂ was combined with hydrogen to produce methane.