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📰 The quick summary: Italy’s Politecnico di Milano has launched POLICAP, a mobile carbon capture pilot facility that can test CO₂ capture technologies directly at industrial sites, bringing cleaner industry closer to reality.
📈 One key stat: Italy’s Ravenna CCS Hub is targeting a capture capacity of up to four million tons of CO₂ annually before 2030, signaling serious national ambition for carbon capture at scale.
💬 One key quote: “With POLICAP, we strongly reaffirm that the green transition is no longer negotiable: it is a strategic priority,” said Donatella Sciuto, Rector of Politecnico di Milano.

1️⃣ The big picture: Italy’s Politecnico di Milano has unveiled POLICAP, a transportable carbon capture pilot laboratory based in Piacenza that researchers can install directly at industrial sites to test real-world CO₂ capture solutions. Developed by the university’s Department of Energy, the facility focuses on solvent absorption technologies and evaluates new materials and process configurations to improve capture efficiency while cutting costs. Funding came from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan through the ECCSELLENT project, and POLICAP also connects to the broader European ECCSEL-ERIC research network. The launch fits into a wider push in Italy to scale carbon capture infrastructure, including the Ravenna CCS Hub developed by Eni and Snam, which already stores CO₂ in depleted Adriatic gas fields. Italy’s updated National Energy and Climate Plan formally identifies carbon capture and direct air capture as key tools for hard-to-abate industries working toward national climate targets.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: A mobile, deployable carbon capture lab means researchers can test solutions under real industrial conditions rather than in controlled lab settings, dramatically improving the quality and relevance of the data they collect. Advances in solvent absorption and process efficiency could help reduce the energy costs that have historically made carbon capture expensive, making it more viable for industries that have struggled to decarbonize. Connecting POLICAP to the European ECCSEL-ERIC network means findings can inform carbon capture research and policy far beyond Italy’s borders. As Italy scales up both its research capacity and infrastructure like the Ravenna CCS Hub, the country positions itself as a serious contributor to Europe’s climate goals. Progress in industrially tested carbon capture technology brings the possibility of net-zero emissions for hard-to-abate sectors meaningfully closer.

3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers will use POLICAP to run tests on both synthetic gases and real industrial emissions, gathering data to support scale-up and industrialization studies. Advanced digital models for CCUS systems will be developed under industrially representative conditions, helping bridge the gap between research and commercial deployment. Italy’s broader carbon capture ambitions, including the Ravenna CCS Hub’s planned expansion to four million tons of CO₂ annually before 2030, will likely benefit from the insights POLICAP generates.

Read the full story here: Carbon Herald – Italian University Launches Mobile Carbon Capture Pilot Facility