Tallinn, 19 December 2024
UP Catalyst, a deep-tech company producing sustainable high purity carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and battery-grade graphite from CO2 emissions, has achieved the lowest carbon footprint for CNTs and one of the lowest for battery-grade graphite.
The cradle-to-gate LCA was conducted by Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and critically reviewed by Bureau Veritas Poland and Estonia offices. The results confirm that battery-grade CNTs produced by UP Catalyst have a climate impact footprint of 5 kg of CO₂-eq/kg at current scale and has a potential to reach 0.7 kg of CO₂-eq/kg in the upcoming large scale production facility powered by green electricity. For battery-grade graphite, the LCA indicates the potential to produce material with a footprint of 0.07 kg of CO₂-eq/kg at large scale facility.
The carbon footprint is primarily influenced by reactor construction, purification processes, and electricity consumption, which account for the differences between a smaller reactor and a large-scale industrial facility. In large-scale production, the carbon footprint is reduced due to a lower equipment weight per kilogram of output, the use of materials with lower CO₂-equivalent emissions, a longer reactor lifespan, and decreased energy requirements per unit of production.
“The exceptionally low carbon footprint is achieved due to two main factors. First, the process consumes significantly less energy compared to conventional production methods. Second, it utilises CO₂ emissions as feedstock instead of fossil resources. This approach allows industrial emitters to generate a new revenue stream for their CO₂ emissions while also providing local manufacturers with sustainable, fossil-free raw materials,” says Dr. Gary Urb, CEO of UP Catalyst.
Conventional graphite and CNT production is highly polluting. The carbon footprint of conventionally produced fossil-based graphite and CNTs is substantial. According to the benchmark, synthetic graphite has a carbon footprint of over 25 kg of CO₂-eq/kg, while CNTs have a footprint of approximately 170 kg CO₂-eq/kg. In real production, these figures could be significantly higher.
An average EV battery contains around 70 kg of graphite and 1.5 kg of CNTs. Manufacturing this with fossil-based graphite and CNTs would generate over 1,500 kg of CO₂-eq emissions. If these fossil-based materials are replaced with UP Catalyst’s materials derived from CO₂, the carbon footprint of anode would be nearly zero.
“We are very happy with the LCA results. They show that our high purity CNTs and battery grade graphite can be produced with a near-zero carbon footprint. I am confident that we can even become CO2 negative using green energy sources and feedstock with low climate impact. This represents an enormous potential to enable green technologies without exploiting fossil resources,” says Dr. Einar Karu, VP of Technology at UP Catalyst.
The LCA is performed in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044 standards, and the ILCD Handbook. All product steps, from material extraction to end-of-life disposal, are included in the scope.
About UP Catalyst
UP Catalyst uses molten salt CO2 capture and electrochemical transformation (MSCC-ET) technology to create sustainable carbon materials from CO₂-rich flue gases produced by heavy industry emitters, powered by wind, solar, hydro or similar green energy.UP Catalyst has been producing CNTs in Estonia since 2019, scaling up production every two years with currently team of 40. A large industrial facility with production volumes of 60,000 tons carbon materials will be constructed by the end of 2030.
Contact
Teele Niidas, CMO
Email: teele@upcatalyst.com
Dr. Einar Karu, VP of Technology
Email: einar@upcatalyst.com
