C1 Value (2020–2023)

C1 Value seeks solutions for industrial green chemistry manufacturing from CO2 emissions. The programme’s research fields include synthetic chemistry and catalysis research, process engineering and systemic studies, industrial ecology and biotechnology as well as modelling based on these.

Finland is one of the signatories of the Paris climate agreement and therefore committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2035. The target can be achieved not just by cutting carbon emissions but also by promoting solutions that reduce the volume of carbon compounds in the atmosphere. This calls for sustainable means of carbon capture, storage and utilisation.

Atmospheric carbon compounds can be captured, stored and utilised in the production of chemical products and materials, for example. C1 compounds (CO2, CO, CH4, CH3OH) are potential sources of raw material for the production of fuels, materials and chemicals. One of the most exciting areas of research worldwide at the moment is carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), which involves capturing carbon dioxide from the air or flue gases and either utilising it as is or converting it into raw material for the production of hydrocarbons, for example. The goal is to find solutions that enable CO2 and CH4 emissions, for example, to be utilised in industrial manufacturing in accordance with the principles of green chemistry. Among the most popular topics and areas of research are the theoretical modelling of compounds and reactions, synthetic chemistry and catalysis research, process engineering and systemic studies, industrial ecology as well as biotechnology.

The programme is aimed at making scientific breakthroughs, generating new know-how and boosting Finland’s scientific competence in this field. This requires interdisciplinary research cooperation that incorporates approaches from different fields as well as groundbreaking research. In addition to having a scientific impact, the programme is hoped to significantly slow down the progress of climate change and help Finland to meet its climate targets.

The programme budget is 6 million euros. The Academy of Finland has chosen nine consortia with 18 subprojects to be funded in the C1 Value Academy Programme.