The electrified Swing To Transform: How OMV’s Carbon Capture Innovation Center redefines Decarbonization

Carbon capture is entering a new phase. The technology is proven. It’s been in use around the world for decades. The question is not whether it works, but how it can work more efficiently. The world needs a new generation of carbon capture that uses less energy, fits into an electrified system, and supports circular value chains.

Meeting these challenges requires a new way of thinking. With the guiding principle “To transform, we innovate”, we take on this task.

That’s why we have re-invented the most energy intensive step of the process, to redesign this established technology into a more efficient, circular solution.

Most industrial carbon capture systems rely on liquid solvents. The CO₂-containing gas flows through the solvent and dissolves into the liquid, similar to how carbon dioxide dissolves into a soft drink during carbonation. The gas enters the liquid and becomes part of it.

Later, in a controlled environment, we can "decarbonate" the solvent by releasing the dissolved CO₂. This enables us to reuse the solvent and recover concentrated CO₂, which can be used as a building block for synthetic fuels and chemicals.

Stefan added: “The solvent desorption technology is proven, but the required heating and cooling demand is energy-intensive.”

For decades, this high energy consumption, and the cost that comes with it, has been considered an unavoidable part of the process.

Stefan thought differently: “If we want to accelerate carbon capture to scale, especially for circular applications like creating synthetic fuels, this step has to be rethought.”

Innovation Begins with a Question

There was no ready-made solution for this problem. Instead, Stefan brought together a small team united by curiosity and a willingness for change.

Grottendorfer recalled: “It was a highly collaborative effort. People with very different backgrounds working together, iterating quickly, and focusing on solving practical problems rather than following rigid structures.”

An Electric Approach

Stefan and his team focused their ingenuity on the desorption bottleneck. The goal was to develop a new, fully electrified approach to reduce the reliance on heat and remove CO₂ at much lower temperatures.

"It was a small, agile team across countries, startups, and universities. A steep learning curve, but we pioneered what didn't exist.”

Together, they aimed to reduce the temperature required to remove CO₂ from the liquid solvents from over 100 degrees, to low temperatures.

Replacing complete and well-established solvent-based systems was never the goal. Such a step would require rethinking and reinvesting in the entire technology. Instead, the team focused on improving what already works: adapting the solvent carbon capture process, and dramatically improving the performance.

The result was CoolSwingCC®, OMV’s proprietary low-temperature, fully electrified desorption technology. By rethinking the most energy-intensive step of carbon capture, CoolSwingCC® enables more than 50% energy savings in the desorption step considering a thermal desorption of a conventional Moneethanolamine based thermal system. Along with that, the required cooling demand after the desorption is reduced as well.

After months of testing and iterations, the team determined that CoolSwingCC® has the potential to reshape the economics of carbon capture.

Furthermore, the flexibility of this design allows the testing of the electrified desorption process under live industrial conditions, with real-world operational requirements. Out of the lab, and into the field in as many ways as possible. It’s a novel way to reach widespread applications without committing to full-scale installations too early.

Grottendorfer explains: “The Innovation Center is a tool. It enables us to de-risk the technology, understand how it behaves in different settings, and accelerate learning before scaling up.”

As a tool, it is practically unique. Most carbon capture systems are either laboratory setups or large fixed installations, greatly reducing the versatility and adaptability of the technology. The CCIC is filling a critical gap, enabling real testing in versatile applications at unprecedented pace.

Where could this technology take us?

Improving the efficiency of carbon capture has far-reaching implications.

The technology is immediately transferrable to carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects (CCUS). The focus on adapting the process rather than rethinking the design entirely means up-and-running CCUS projects can be retrofitted to enjoy the benefits of the more efficient system.

What’s more, OMV focuses on developing e-fuels and other sustainable fuel stocks, which requires carbon as a building block. The electrified desorption step cuts emissions and costs to make a circular fuel economy far more viable.

A modular approach to scaling

A possible next step is to scale the CoolSwingCC® technology intelligently. Instead of enlarging individual units, the new approach is a ‘numbering-up’ strategy which gives more flexibility. This capitalizes on the modular approach to the CoolSwingCC® technology by creating multiple units that can be easily deployed at the sites that require them.

This ‘carbon capture to order’ approach has the potential to make the technology more accessible over time, reducing installation time and costs, and lowering investment risk. As decarbonization efforts progress, adaptable solutions that can evolve gradually will remain important.

Grottendorfer concludes: "This is the strength of the Carbon Capture Innovation Center and the CoolSwingCC® technology. With innovations like these, we are unlocking new value streams for the business."