Vienna, 16 January 2024 – As part of the Australia-Austria Industrial Decarbonisation Demonstration Partnership Program, RHI Magnesita, MCi Carbon (MCi), the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) receive € 3.8 million in funding for the CCUpScale project. The funding is provided by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund, supported by the Austrian Ministry for Climate Action, Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). This project aims to further develop MCi Carbon’s mineral carbonation technology and support RHI Magnesita’s plans to build the world’s first Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) plant in the refractory industry in Hochfilzen, Austria.
Since 2023, RHI Magnesita, the global leader in the refractory industry, has invested millions of euros into the innovative Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technology developed by the Australian clean-tech startup MCi Carbon. This technology aims to transform the refractory industry and neutralize CO₂ emissions. With the € 3.8 million in funding, key advancements such as raw material analyses, pre-demonstration trials, low carbon product development, process engineering for scaling, and industrial integrations can now be pursued. This marks a decisive step toward the construction of the world’s first CCU pilot plant for the refractory industry in Hochfilzen, Tyrol, which is planned to be operational at RHI Magnesita’s facility in 2028.
The plant will capture, convert, and utilize 50,000 tons of CO₂ annually to produce CO₂-negative mineral value-added products.
RHI Magnesita plans to deploy MCi Carbon’s CCU technology to significantly reduce its Scope 1 emissions. “This funding approval shows that we are on the right track with this project. For industries with unavoidable emissions like ours, CO₂ capture is currently the only viable path to achieve net-zero by 2050. However, we go one step further by not only capturing CO₂ but also converting it into products that provide solutions for us and other hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as the cement industry,” explained Constantin Beelitz, Regional President Europe, CIS & Türkiye at RHI Magnesita.
“MCi Carbon is committed to advancing innovative, scalable solutions for decarbonising the world’s most challenging industries. RHI Magnesita is an excellent partner, investor and customer,” said Marcus Dawe, CEO of MCi Carbon.
Austria’s Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler also emphasized the importance of the project: “This project demonstrates how innovation and international collaboration can help us achieve our climate goals. Initiatives like CCUpScale allow us to accelerate the transformation to a climate-neutral industry while advancing global solutions for CO₂ utilization.”
Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen flagged the importance of international collaboration to drive innovation, “projects like this deepen and expand our international bilateral efforts to reduce embedded carbon and we value the collaboration with our Austrian partners to support innovative decarbonisation technologies and solutions. Projects such as CCUpScale will deliver real, tangible progress—reducing emissions at their source, cutting embedded carbon in our buildings, and demonstrating the value of these innovative projects”.
Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: “Carbon capture and utilization is a topic we have been addressing in our research programs for several years. By doing so, we support the domestic industry in building expertise and swiftly implementing corresponding solutions. With this project, RHI Magnesita is pioneering in Austria, and we are very proud to contribute to the realization of the pilot plant.”
RHI Magnesita is the leading global supplier of high-grade refractory products, systems and solutions which are critical for high-temperature processes exceeding 1,200°C in a wide range of industries, including steel, cement, non-ferrous metals and glass. With a vertically integrated value chain, from raw materials to refractory products and full performance-based solutions, RHI Magnesita serves customers around the world, with over 20,000 employees in 67 main production sites (including raw material sites), 12 recycling facilities and more than 70 sales offices. RHI Magnesita intends to leverage its leadership in terms of revenue, scale, product portfolio and diversified geographic presence to target strategically those countries and regions benefiting from more dynamic economic growth prospects.
The Group is listed within the Equity Shares (Commercial Companies) category (“ESCC”) of the Official List of the London Stock Exchange (symbol: RHIM) and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index, with a secondary listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange (Wiener Börse). For more information please visit: www.rhimagnesita.com
MCi Carbon is a pioneering Australian clean technology company dedicated to transforming CO2 emissions into valuable building materials through its mineral carbonation technology. With a mission to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, MCi Carbon operates the world’s first mineral carbonation demonstration plant in Newcastle, Australia. For more information, please visit mcicarbon.com/