Carbon Recycling International starts construction at Svartsengi
Visualization of Carbon Recycling International fuel plant (source: Arkis)
Alexander Richter
10 Dec 2010
Icelandic firm Carbon Recycling International is starting construction at its demonstration plant for producing methanol from CO2 emissions of the Svartsengi geothermal power plant by HS Orka in Iceland.
ThinkGeoEnergy had reported about this exciting project in Iceland before, but now it becomes a reality. The company Carbon Recycling International, is going to build a plant that will turn CO2 emissions from a nearby geothermal power plant to produce methanol.
In a release this week, “IAV and Carbon Recycling International (CRI) have signed a contract for construction of the first plant for production of renewable fuel from CO2 emissions. IAV has started construction work on the plant on an industrial site next to the HS Orka geothermal power plant at Svartsengi on the Reykjanes peninsula. According to plan the plant will be ready for testing and production in March 2011. The CRI plant uses electricity and CO2 emissions from the geothermal power plant to produce renewable fuel for cars. This process is based on technology developed and patented by CRI.
At full scale, production capacity of the CRI plant will be 5 million liters of Renewable Methanol per year. The fuel will initially be introduced on the Icelandic market. Renewable Methanol can be blended with gasoline or biodiesel to make clean fuel for cars without requiring any change of engines or distribution methods. Benefits include lower pollution, better fuel efficiency and a sustainable domestic fuel supply made with electricity, CO2 emissions and water. This will make Iceland cleaner, less dependent on import of oil and potentially a net fuel exporter in the future.
KC Tran, CEO of Carbon Recycling International said: „I am looking forward to working with IAV on this project. They bring skill, knowledge and enthusiasm to bear, combined with experience and a high quality standard. This plant is a big step forward. It will help to lower air pollution in the Grindavik area and create new opportunities for members of the community as well as in Iceland as a whole.“
Karl Thrainsson, CEO of IAV said that „We welcome the opportunity to work with CRI, which is an entrepreneurial and forward thinking clean technology company. We are also pleased to be part of putting together the first clean fuel production plant of its kind in the world based on Icelandic technology.“
Carbon Recycling International has been in operation since 2006 and is owned by Icelandic and American investors. It is headquartered at Borgartun 27 in Reykjavik. For more information please see the website http://www.carbonrecycling.is.
