Direct Air Capture and CO₂ Conversion Technologies Receive “Best CO₂ Utilisation 2026” Award
RAPCO2, Aerleum and OCOchem recognised at CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2026 through live audience voting
The CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2026, held on 28-29 April 2026, brought together nearly 170 participants to discuss developments in Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) and Power-to-X technologies. During the event, the “Best CO₂ Utilisation 2026” innovation award was presented to technologies focused on converting CO₂ into fuels, chemicals and industrial materials.
The award was co-organised by nova-Institut and CO₂ Value Europe, with sponsorship from Yncoris.
The 2026 winners selected through live audience voting were RAPCO2, Aerleum and OCOchem. The organisers stated that the selected technologies represented different approaches to industrial CO₂ utilisation, including Direct Air Capture, e-methanol production and electrochemical conversion technologies.
RAPCO2 Receives First Place for BlueLeaf and eJungle
RAPCO2 secured first place with its BlueLeaf and eJungle Direct Air Capture systems.
According to the company, BlueLeaf is designed to capture CO₂ produced in small commercial environments such as offices and shops, while eJungle combines 80 BlueLeaf units and converts captured CO₂ into sodium acetate.
The captured CO₂ is processed through a patented bioreactor system designed to regenerate the DAC material with low energy demand. The acetate produced is then converted into isopropyl alcohol (IPA) through ketonisation-hydrogenation processing.
Additional information is available at: RAPCO2
Aerleum Ranked Second for e-Methanol Production Technology
Second place was awarded to Aerleum for its Direct Carbon Utilisation technology.
The company stated that its patented system enables direct conversion of atmospheric industrial CO₂ into fuels and chemical products. Aerleum identified e-methanol as its first commercial application, intended for use in aviation, maritime shipping and chemical manufacturing sectors.
According to the company, the technology is designed for industrial-scale deployment focused on low-carbon fuel and feedstock production.
More information is available at: Aerleum
OCOchem Awarded Third Place for Electrolyzer Technology
Third place was awarded to OCOchem for its Carbon FluX Electrolyzer (CFX) 400 system.
According to the company, the system converts captured carbon dioxide and water into formic acid or potassium formate using electrocatalytic processes. The system includes four industrial-scale CO₂ electrolyzer cells equipped with Axial FluX Gas Diffusion Electrodes measuring 15,000 cm² each.
OCOchem stated that the modular system produces 60 tons annually, operates at 85 per cent Faradaic Efficiency and has demonstrated electrode durability exceeding 1200 hours. The company added that commercially available carbon-negative formates began shipping in October 2025.
More information is available at: OCOchem
Additional nominees included ICODOS for eMethanol production, CERT Systems for electrochemical ethylene production technology, and CYNiO for CO₂-based isocyanate production.
The organisers stated that the nominated technologies reflected ongoing developments in distributed carbon capture, industrial fuel synthesis and electrochemical conversion systems.