Austria’s ‘first large-scale carbon capture’ to turn emissions into construction materials

Thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide that would otherwise contribute to the climate emergency will instead be captured and turned into construction materials.

The ‘circular’ process will be made possible by the ‘first industrial large-scale carbon capture and utilisation (CCUS) plant in Austria’, announced today (18 January) by Australian clean-tech firm MCI Carbon.

The company, which uses a ‘low-cost, low-pressure, low-energy chemical engineering process’ to transform carbon dioxide (CO₂) into building products and materials, has partnered with Austrian refractory products supplier RHI Magnesita on the project.

The new plant in Hochfilzen, Tyrol, will capture and transform approximately 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year and create “mineral value products that are carbon negative”, MCI said.

The firm’s process combines captured CO₂ with a mineral feedstock, usually an industrial waste such as steel slag, mine tailings or raw quarried minerals, to produce carbonates and silicates. These are direct inputs into building materials and other products.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for MCI Carbon and underscores the trust our partners place in our transformative technology. With RHI Magnesita's support, we are poised to accelerate our global commercialisation efforts and address the challenges faced by heavy industries in achieving decarbonisation,” said Marcus Dawe, founder and CEO of MCI Carbon. 

“The partnership with the Australian clean-tech start-up MCI Carbon is forward looking, and their technological approach is particularly interesting because it combines carbon capture, storage and carbon utilisation. This is currently the most promising way for the refractory industry to reduce process emissions,” said Stefan Borgas, CEO of RHI Magnesita. 

The company previously signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with MCI to decarbonise parts of its operations, making it MCI’s first global commercial customer.

RHI investment will enable completion of a demonstration CCUS plant in Newcastle, Australia, which is designed to capture over 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

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