CO2 Summit: D-CRBN targets chemicals with CO2-into-CO tech

Belgium-based decarbonisation technology start-up D-CRBN wants to replace fossil-based chemicals with alternatives from recycled CO2.

Speaking at gasworld’s European CO2 Summit 2025 in Rotterdam, Gill Scheltjens, CEO and co-founder of D-CRBN outlined the company’s vision to “close the carbon loop” by converting industrial CO2 emissions back into active carbon monoxide (CO). This is a crucial building block for many chemicals and industrial products.

Currently, the chemical industry sources CO primarily from oil and gas, generating roughly two tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of CO produced. Scheltjens explained how D-CRBN’s plasma tech drastically reduces this environmental impact, even creating “a carbon-negative CO molecule” to help chemical producers to cut their emissions.

“Imagine a future where all the products that we are using on a day-to-day basis – like clothing, car parts, packaging – [are with] materials from CO2,” Scheltjens said.