As part of the BIST Forum 2026, held this Friday at the CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) has presented the decarbonisation project that promotes the deployment of four mobile pilot plants. These units will test cutting-edge CO₂ capture and use technologies to reduce emissions in industries that are difficult to abate, such as petrochemicals, cement, steel and waste incineration. This is a pioneering project, financed by the European Union with ERDF funds and developed in collaboration with the industrial sector, also in collaboration with Eurecat and the URV, which can place Catalonia at the forefront of the fight against climate change.
The project, as an example of the potential of frontier research to provide disruptive solutions, was presented by Dr. Júlia Viladoms, head of the Industrial Decarbonization Unit of the ICIQ. During his speech, he stressed that the initiative is not only a technological milestone, but a strategic tool: “We want to demonstrate that, from research centres, it is possible to promote technology transfer and innovation projects with a real impact on the territory“, she said.
Precisely, the annual meeting of the BIST scientific community has addressed how to generate new industry from scientific research. The conference, organised by the seven major research centres of the CERCA system (CRG, ICFO, ICIQ, ICN2, IFAE, and IRB Barcelona) was attended by the Minister of Research and Universities from de Government of Catalonia, Núria Montserrat; the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; and the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council, Maria Eugènia Gay. As an exceptional guest, the president of the European Investment Bank and former Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño, has analysed with other experts the potential of frontier search to shape the industry of the future.
Why is the decarbonization project important?
With this project, ICIQ provides the knowledge and tools for companies in Catalonia to make the transition towards a decarbonised future and a circular and sustainable production model in line with the change in the European and global economic model.
Industry is responsible for a significant portion of CO₂ emissions, and electrifying processes or replacing fuels is not always feasible. This project responds to this challenge with innovative solutions that will make it possible to move towards the climate neutrality set by the European Union for 2050.
“Collaboration between research centers such as ICIQ and companies is essential. Without this binomial, innovation does not reach the market. Our goal is to make these technologies viable and scalable,” said Dr. Júlia Viladoms.
Four technologies that will make a difference
Mobile pilot plants incorporate four complementary approaches:
Each capture unit (1-3) can reach up to 250 kg of CO₂ per day, helping to validate scalable solutions for sectors where emission reduction is more complex. It is about recycling CO₂ and creating synergies between different industrial sectors to move towards a more sustainable common future. In other words, CO₂ will go from waste to being a useful asset for industry, a new raw material.
Investment and impact
With a total investment of €27 million from the European Union (€22M from the ERDF Programme of Catalonia 2021-2027 within the framework of the STEP initiative) and the Government of the Catalonia (€5M from the 2023 budget), the project foresees the manufacture and validation of the plants from 2026, their installation in industrial environments in 2027 and technological improvement until 2029. Catalonia is thus positioned as a European benchmark in innovation for industrial decarbonisation.
Call for collaboration
These units will function as itinerant laboratories, facilitating experimentation and the optimization of processes that help reduce emissions. Interested companies will be able to access these pilot plants through open calls, promoting technology transfer and collaboration between research and industry.
In this context, ICIQ plays a key role in providing new materials and scientific knowledge for CO₂ capture and conversion technologies, consolidating research as a fundamental pillar of this project.
La entrada ICIQ presents the pilot plant project to decarbonise Catalan industry at the BIST Forum se publicó primero en ICIQ.