As Europe accelerates its transition towards climate neutrality, Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is increasingly recognised as a key solution for decarbonising hard-to-abate industries. But how ready is the market to adopt these technologies? What barriers are slowing down large-scale deployment - and which drivers can help unlock their full potential?

As leader of exploitation, dissemination and communication activities within PYROCO2, PNO Innovation conducted and analysed the PYROCO2 Stakeholder Survey, gathering insights from more than 40 companies, researchers and innovation actors active across the CCUS value chain in Europe. The survey provides valuable perspectives on market trends, technological bottlenecks, policy gaps and future deployment pathways.

Our analysis highlights a clear message: although momentum around CCU is increasing and its strategic importance for industrial decarbonisation is widely acknowledged, economic feasibility, technical maturity and regulatory certainty remain key challenges. At the same time, stakeholders emphasise strong enabling factors - including supportive policy frameworks, increased public funding, the development of CCUS hubs and integrated capture-and-utilisation solutions - as crucial to accelerate industrial-scale implementation.

These insights closely align with the ambition of PYROCO2: demonstrating sustainable value creation from industrial CO₂ through thermophilic microbial conversion into acetone, and contributing to the development of a circular and climate-positive chemical production platform.

We invite you to explore the full results and join us in shaping the pathway from CCU potential to industrial reality.