{"id":6682,"date":"2026-03-04T14:17:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T13:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/?post_type=consortia&#038;p=6682"},"modified":"2026-04-29T17:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:44:56","slug":"retroco2l","status":"publish","type":"consortia","link":"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/en\/consortia\/retroco2l\/","title":{"rendered":"RetroCO2L"},"content":{"rendered":" <div class=\"block block--header block--header-complex  margin-bottom--big\" id=\"block_50860620de38c18d88afe9cd7da971ed\" data-id=\"\">\n\n\n \t<div class=\"relative\">\n\t\t<div class=\"object-fit-con js-fade-in js-fade\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t \t\t<picture>\n\t\t            <source \n\t\t                media=\"(min-width: 641px)\" \n\t\t                srcset=\"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-2400x1600.jpg 2400w,\n\t\t                \t\thttps:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1920x1280.jpg 1920w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1600x1067.jpg 1600w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1400x933.jpg 1400w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1200x800.jpg 1200w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-800x533.jpg 800w\"\n\t\t                sizes=\"100vw\">\n\t\t            <source \n\t\t                media=\"(max-width: 641px)\" \n\t\t                srcset=\"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1200x800.jpg 1200w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w,\n\t\t                        https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-800x533.jpg 800w\"\n\t\t                sizes=\"100vw\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/florian-cordier-7rC-6cwaVec-unsplash-1600x1067.jpg\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\theight=\"1707\" width=\"2560\" \n\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\n\t\t \t\n\t\t \t\n\t\t \t\t<div class=\"image-caption\">\n\t\t \t\t\t<p class=\"copyright-icon\">\u00a9<\/p>\n\t\t \t\t\t<div class=\"copyright-info\">\n\t\t \t\t\t\t<p class=\"caption-item\">\u00a9 Florian Cordier, unsplash<\/p>\n\t\t \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t \t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"inner relative js-fade js-fade-up js-2\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container container--small\">\n\t\t\t\t<h1>RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L<\/h1>\n<p>is working on a proof-of-concept for retrofitting industrial cooling towers for direct air capture.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"bg--light padding-top\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container container--small\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex flexgrid--gutter flex--wrap margin-bottom--small js-fade js-fade-stacked\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"logo\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex__item one-half\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L project aims to convert existing industrial recooling plants (e.g., cooling towers, cell coolers) into DAC facilities and create DAC capacities on a global scale. Since suitable recooling plants and the corresponding infrastructure are available at many energy and industrial sites around the world, RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L is laying the foundation for a disruptive DAC technology with rapid implementation potential.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex__item three-tenths content-one-half sm-one-whole sm-margin-bottom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"epsilon\">Project management<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert G\u00fcttel<\/strong><br \/>\nUniversit\u00e4t Ulm<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex__item one-fifth content-one-half sm-one-whole sm-margin-bottom\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"extend\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"epsilon\">Projekt duration<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t01.03.2026 &#8211; 28.02.2029\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex__item one-whole padding-top--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"extend\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"epsilon\">Project partner<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jakob Burger, Prof. Dr. Nicolas Plumer\u00e9<\/strong>, Technical University of Munich (TUM)|<strong>Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Gr\u00fctzner<\/strong>, University of Ulm<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n <div class=\"block block--text  margin-bottom--big\" id=\"block_c823d3710860830ee6240339b8782328\" data-id=\"\">\n\n\n\t<div class=\"container container--small js-fade js-fade-up\">\n\n\t\t<h2>Project goals<\/h2>\n<p>Our project aims to retrofit existing recooling plants for direct air capture (DAC) of CO<sub>2<\/sub> using alkaline solutions coupled with electrochemical regeneration. Consequently, the overarching goal of RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L is the experimental proof-of-concept of the DAC process for the use of a retrofitted industrial recooling plant as a CO<sub>2<\/sub> absorber. We want to experimentally demonstrate the process steps of CO<sub>2<\/sub> capture and release at TRL 3-4 and evaluate the process for the scale of industrial recooling plants. To achieve this overall goal, we have the following specific research objectives:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research objective 1:<\/strong> Development of an experimentally validated scale-up model of the CO<sub>2<\/sub> absorber using basic solutions. The model forms the basis for the design and evaluation of industrial recooling plants for DAC.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research objective 2:<\/strong> Development of a novel DAC process based on pH swing using neutral red as a redox-active pH-changing molecule in combination with a retention system. The goal is a low-energy electrochemical regeneration process that simultaneously overcomes challenges in terms of stability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research objective 3:<\/strong> Design, assembly, and operation of a scaled plant in a laboratory environment at TRL 3-4, as well as experimental proof of concept of the RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L process at TRL 3. The proof of concept will be carried out using real air and in a realistic operating environment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research objective 4:<\/strong> Evaluation of the potential of RetroCO<sub>2<\/sub>L in terms of capacity, costs, and feasibility for DAC.<\/p>\n<p>The research project thus expands the range of available DAC processes. The particular innovation of the concept lies, on the one hand, in the retrofitting of existing infrastructure in an industrial environment, which leads to cost efficiency, alternative business models for otherwise decommissioned industries, and better social acceptance. On the other hand, a novel, low-energy process for the regeneration of the absorption solution is being developed.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>is working on a proof-of-concept for retrofitting industrial cooling towers for direct air capture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6705,"template":"","class_list":["post-6682","consortia","type-consortia","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>RetroCO2L - CDRterra<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cdrterra.de\/en\/consortia\/retroco2l\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RetroCO2L - 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