ILIMITED Newsletter

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Advancing climate-neutral methanol production through innovation and collaboration

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Dear reader,

ILIMITED is a Horizon Europe project aiming to transform the way CO₂ is converted into methanol, a key building block for sustainable fuels and chemicals. The project is developing an innovative and economically viable process designed for small, decentralised applications, such as wastewater treatment plants and local energy systems.

By combining novel liquid sorbents, advanced catalysis and integrated reactor concepts, ILIMITED aims to enable efficient CO₂ capture and local methanol production, supporting Europe’s transition towards a climate-neutral and resilient energy system.

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EARLY RESEARCH RESULTS

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Initial work focused on validating simulation methods to identify promising liquid solvents capable of capturing methanol and water directly during CO₂ conversion. Removing these reaction products as they form can significantly improve process efficiency.

As an important early milestone, project partner University of Aveiro published the first open-access scientific article based on ILIMITED research in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research (ACS Publications). These results provide a strong scientific foundation for more efficient and scalable CO₂ - based methanol production, supporting climate-neutral industrial solutions.

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ADVANCING CATALYSTS AND REACTOR TECHNOLOGIES

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In parallel, the consortium is developing new catalytic materials and encapsulation strategies to further improve the efficiency of CO₂-to-methanol conversion. The aim is to create catalysts with higher activity and stability, while ensuring compatibility with ILIMITED’s novel liquid sorbent concept.

Project partner Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is exploring next-generation catalysts based on Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs), offering greater flexibility compared to conventional methanol synthesis catalysts and opening new pathways for improved performance.

At the reactor level, partner ICODOS GmbH has developed the first plastic prototype of a fluid-guiding multifunctional reactor. The prototype allows early validation of geometry, assembly and manufacturability before progressing to metal additive manufacturing. Upcoming steps include pressure, flow and thermal performance testing.

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COLLABORATION BEYOND THE PROJECT

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ILIMITED is part of a broader European research landscape. To strengthen knowledge exchange and impact, project coordinator NIC has initiated collaboration with several Horizon Europe sister projects, focusing on synergies, joint dissemination activities and coordinated communication efforts. This collaboration contributes to aligned European research efforts aimed at accelerating the clean energy transition.

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YOUR VOICE MATTERS: SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE SURVEY

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Beyond technological development, ILIMITED is committed to ensuring that its innovations are socially accepted and aligned with societal needs.

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We invite you to contribute to the project by participating in the ILIMITED Social Acceptance Survey, which explores how communities and stakeholders perceive innovative approaches to energy storage and CO₂ valorisation through methanol synthesis.

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Your input helps shape solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but also socially responsible and widely supported.

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With best regards,
ILIMITED project team

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ILIMITED project partners at the 6GA progress meeting -
host partner RINA, Milan, Italy, June 2025

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About | News | Contact us

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The ILIMITED project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement n°101192864. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This work is also funded by Swiss Confederation under State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI grant n°24.00542.

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