EU REACT Project Targets CO2-to-Ethylene Conversion as New Method Produces Graphite from Waste CO2

A Horizon Europe‑funded research programme called REACT, coordinated by SINTEF in Norway and involving 13 partners from ten European countries, aims to treat industrial carbon‑dioxide emissions as a feedstock rather than waste. The project will develop an electro‑chemical process that converts CO2 from sectors such as steel, cement and chemicals directly into ethylene, a key building block for plastics and other materials, without needing extensive gas purification. The €8.4 million initiative includes process design, scale‑up and economic feasibility studies.

Separately, scientists have reported a novel two‑step catalytic mechanism that converts CO2 straight into high‑purity graphite. The low‑energy method bypasses traditional high‑temperature reduction routes and yields a material suitable for lithium‑ion battery anodes, offering heavy emitters and data‑center operators a way to offset carbon footprints while generating a valuable conductive precursor.