Successful Start-up for Evonik’s Rheticus Pilot Plant

November 18, 2020

Evonik and Siemens Energy have recently commissioned the Rheticus pilot plant that converts carbon dioxide into chemicals. Sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project uses renewable energy to produce valuable chemicals from CO₂ and water through electrolysis with the help of bacteria. This type of artificial photosynthesis can serve as an energy store and thus help to close the carbon cycle and reduce carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere. Siemens and Evonik are each contributing with their core competencies – electrolysis and biotechnology – to this artificial photosynthesis process.

For Zeton, involvement in Evonik’s part of the project (biotechnology) provided an opportunity to share their knowledge in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), together with their scale-specific solutions know-how and expertise at the pilot plant scale. The proximity of both parties, both literally and figuratively – Zeton B.V. is located in the border area with Germany, within 100 km of Marl – made it possible to work together in an efficient and effective way, with short lines of communication.