NTPC carbon capture project achieves key milestone with production of first drop of methanol using captured CO2
After operating successfully for two years, the pioneering carbon capture project at NTPC’s 500 MW coal-fired Unit-13 at the Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station in India has reached a major milestone when CO2 captured from flue gas using Carbon Clean’s CaptureX semi-modular technology was used to produce the first drop of methanol.
The project, executed by NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), uses the licensed technology provided by Carbon Clean through its wholly owned Indian subsidiary, Carboncapture Technologies Pvt. Ltd. The project demonstrates that CO2 can be captured reliably at industrial scale and prepared for conversion into high-quality methanol. This achievement advances India’s ambition to become a global hub for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), marks another milestone in Carbon Clean’s portfolio by validating the robustness of its technology, and underscores NTPC’s commitment to CCU and the viability of large-scale methanol production in India.
Designed to capture 20 tonnes of CO2 per day (TPD) directly from the power station’s flue gas, the captured carbon dioxide will be catalytically hydrogenated using green hydrogen to produce methanol. This will open new pathways for converting waste CO2 into a valuable chemical feedstock and sustainable fuel, further aligning with NTPC’s decarbonisation strategy and long-term vision to create new business opportunities in the green economy.
This milestone comes as Carbon Clean participates in the UK Prime Minister’s first major trade mission to India. The visit seeks to build on the momentum from the UK-India trade deal, signed in July. It underscores the growing collaboration between the UK and India in accelerating clean energy innovation, industrial decarbonisation and sustainable investment.
Aniruddha Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, said:
“It’s a privilege to be part of the Prime Minister’s business delegation to India and to represent the UK’s world-leading clean tech sector at such a pivotal moment for industrial decarbonisation. The partnership between the UK and India is crucial to scaling industrial decarbonisation, and the Vindhyachal project demonstrates how collaboration can turn ambition into action.
“Following the success of our initial 20 TPD CO2 capture project at NTPC Vindhyachal, our technology has been chosen for the subsequent 25 TPD CO2 capture project which will be used to produce ethanol at NTPC Simhadri. This selection strongly validates our system's robust performance under real industrial conditions and demonstrates customer confidence. These projects are key steps in showing how waste CO2 can be transformed into a valuable low-carbon product.”
This progress follows the launch of Carbon Clean’s Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in India three months ago, which will serve as one of their major international hubs to advance the next generation of carbon capture technologies.
Carbon Clean’s modular carbon capture technology reduces site infrastructure needs, and its proprietary solvent, process equipment and advanced heat integration systems, deliver lower costs. Designed for flue gases with CO2 concentrations from 3% to 25% by volume, the system produces CO2 at over 99% purity – ready for reuse, resale, or sequestration.
This milestone at Vindhyachal cements NTPC and Carbon Clean as leaders in India’s rapidly expanding carbon capture market, while showcasing how home-grown innovation can unlock new economic opportunities and deliver on climate goals, a timely achievement as the Government prepares to launch a national CCUS Mission to balance rising energy demand with decarbonisation.
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Email: press@carbonclean.com / carbonclean@kekstcnc.com
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About NTPC
Established in 1975, NTPC Ltd. stands as India’s largest power utility today, managing an installed capacity of 83,696 MW. The company is strategically focused on transforming into India’s premier integrated power company and largest low-carbon electricity generator. This strategy aligns with India's national climate change targets. NTPC has set an ambitious target of reaching 130 GW in total capacity by 2032, with 60 GW dedicated to renewable energy. Furthermore, the company is actively pioneering and implementing technologies, such as biomass co-firing and CO2 capture, to significantly reduce CO2 emissions across its fossil power generation fleet.
About Carbon Clean
Carbon Clean is a leader in revolutionising carbon capture solutions for hard-to-abate industries including cement, steel, refineries, and energy from waste. The company’s patented technology significantly reduces the costs of carbon capture when compared to conventional solutions.
Carbon Clean has over 15 years of experience in designing, building, and operating industrial carbon capture systems and it has 50 technology references around the world. The company is an innovation leader in the CCUS market, with over 110 active patent assets across 18 patent families covering 30 countries, and has developed a modular technology, CycloneCC, that is vital for scaling industrial carbon capture deployment to achieve global net zero targets.
Headquartered in the UK and with offices in the US, Canada and India, the company has received funding and grant support from the British and US governments and has established partnerships with industry leaders including Chevron and Cemex. It is also an investor in the Swedish eFuel development company, Liquid Wind.
For further information: www.carbonclean.com
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