Strategic Partnerships Set to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization Efforts

PeroCycle, a pioneer in closed-loop carbon recycling, has unveiled strategic partnerships aimed at speeding up the development and worldwide commercialization of a technology designed to decarbonise heavy industries. The initiative targets sectors that are notoriously difficult to abate, including steel, cement, and chemicals, where carbon emissions remain entrenched in high-temperature processes and fossil-based inputs.

The company has signed agreements with Beijing Peking University Pioneer Technology Corporation Ltd (PKU Pioneer) and international engineering consultancy io consulting. Together, the collaborations are intended to translate PeroCycle’s laboratory achievements into industrial-scale operations by strengthening engineering capabilities across the full value chain.

At the core of the approach is a patented perovskite catalyst originally developed at the University of Birmingham. The catalyst enables the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO) at temperatures lower than those used in conventional routes. This “thermal easing” could help reduce overall energy demand—an essential lever for process emissions and operating costs.

Once produced, the captured CO can be fed back into the production environment as a usable carbon source. By cycling carbon locally rather than relying on external, fossil-derived reducing agents, the method supports a circular carbon economy concept—turning emissions into on-site feedstock.

The company says the potential impact is substantial. By recycling gas byproducts back into industrial workflows, emissions in steelmaking could be reduced by up to 90%. The route also aims to reduce reliance on coal and coke, which currently dominate many reduction processes.

A further advantage is deployability. PeroCycle’s technology can be integrated into new facilities or retrofitted into existing infrastructure. That flexibility matters for projects facing tight timelines, retrofit constraints, and the risk of stranded assets in the transition to greener industrial plants.

With PKU Pioneer, the plan is structured as a staged, multi-year roadmap covering design, construction, and commissioning for PeroCycle’s first commercial facility. The partnership combines catalyst innovation with industrial expertise in gas separation and purification—critical capabilities for managing complex off-gas streams.

Meanwhile, io consulting will provide technical support through pilot development, then lead front-end engineering design and owner’s engineering for a proposed 20 ktpa demonstration plant treating CO₂, followed by a 2 mtpa first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial facility.

The goal is to demonstrate that net-zero pathways for heavy industry can improve operational efficiency while lowering long-term costs, not just shift emissions elsewhere.