“That’s quite a challenge”, says Louk. “But it can certainly work. The great thing about Paebbl is that they want us to try it via a pilot setup. So I think it’s realistic that we will have that installation in place within a year and a half. And even then, we will remain involved in terms of aftercare, of course.”
As far as Louk is concerned, optimism is the most beautiful aspect of this project. “There are many obstacles, but also because this is all new territory. No matter how many hurdles are encountered: we will eventually get there, is the thought. An obstacle doesn’t stop anyone from attaining their goal.”
Pol: “The approach is that we capture CO2 but also create a product from it. That market is potentially big.” But at the same time, he realises that this has been a process of years’ worth of work and that it will likely be years before Paebbl makes a more signifi cant impact. “As a chemist concerned about our natural world, this doesn’t make you happy. But the fl ip side is that we will be capturing a large percentage of CO2 thirty years from now. That is, of course, very advantageous, both for engineering and us.”
Feasible and scalable
Paebbl’s goal is to make a signifi cant impact. Starting small, like the test phase in Rotterdam, will form the beginning of that. “In addition, it must be feasible and scalable. I look forward to the testing phase, in which many answers will be presented. I think it’s fantastic that we’ve been working on this from day one with various engineering companies. It is a unique collaboration whereby all involved keep the others informed and up to date. We’re learning a lot from this.” •