Showcasing INITIATE at FCCat 2025: Catalysis for a Cleaner Future

On 16 May 2025, Santiago Palencia Ruiz from our project partner Johnson Matthey presented the INITIATE project for the Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie (Laboratory of Catalysis and Spectroscopy, LCS) at the Université de Caen Normandie (University of Caen Normandie) in France.

Santiago's presentation, delivered within the framework of the INITIATE project, focused on evaluating functional materials for ammonia production using residual gases from the steel industry. He provided an overview of the INITIATE process flowsheet, which aims to demonstrate, at technology readiness level 7, the complete valorisation of basic oxygen furnace gas (BOFG), a carbon-rich by-product of steelmaking, as a feedstock for ammonia and urea production. He outlined how the project supports EU climate goals by reducing CO₂ emissions, energy consumption, and raw material use.

Santiago also described the methodology used to assess the suitability of materials for the pilot plant currently under construction at Swerim AB’s site in Luleå, Sweden. This facility will process BOFG from the neighbouring SSAB steelworks to produce up to 1.4 tonnes of ammonia per day. His talk highlighted the importance of selecting materials resilient to BOFG contaminants to ensure long-term efficiency and performance at scale.

On 20th and 21st May 2025, Santiago also presented a poster on the INITIATE project during the French Conference on Catalysis 2025 (FCCat), further showcasing our project.

The poster detailed the lab-scale evaluation of key functional materials, such as water gas shift catalysts and purification agents, tested under simulated pilot plant conditions. These experiments assessed the impact of real-world BOFG contaminants on material performance and durability. The results confirmed the materials' suitability for use in the upcoming pilot, forming the basis for further large-scale validation. This research demonstrates the potential for industrial symbiosis between the steel and chemical sectors to accelerate Europe’s decarbonisation and sustainability efforts.

FCCat 2025 continued the legacy of French Nobel laureates Sabatier and Chauvin, uniting the French and international catalysis communities in a collaborative and welcoming environment. Covering both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, the conference explored themes including the energy transition, sustainable chemical processes, recycling, and environmental protection. Open to researchers from academia and industry, FCCat fostered a multidisciplinary approach to advancing catalytic science.

Find Santiago’s poster here.