University of Birmingham and CBMM Collaborate to Advance Carbon Recycling with Niobium Innovation

New partnership targets breakthrough carbon-recycling technology to decarbonize foundation industries like steel-making.

The University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom has partnered with CBMM, a global leader in niobium products based in Brazil, to accelerate innovation in carbon recycling and support industrial decarbonization. The initiative focuses on securing an efficient supply of niobium, a rare yet vital metal, for use in closed-loop carbon technologies designed to drastically reduce emissions from energy-intensive industries.

The collaborative project aims to optimize the production and reduce the cost of niobium-based compounds, which are central to a breakthrough recycling process. This process converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial operations into carbon monoxide (CO), which can then be fed back into manufacturing systems—creating a sustainable carbon loop.

The underpinning technology uses a special niobium-based perovskite material with 100% selectivity for CO production. This means all CO₂ processed through it is transformed exclusively into CO, with no byproducts. The University of Birmingham’s researchers have already demonstrated that adapting this technology to existing blast furnace operations could cut steel industry emissions by up to 90%.

One of the most promising aspects of this solution is its ability to be retrofitted into existing infrastructure. By doing so, industries can adopt the technology without the need for massive, costly overhauls—reducing stranded assets while enabling quicker, scalable deployment. The perovskite also functions at lower temperatures than conventional systems, resulting in improved energy efficiency and cost savings.

The project is expected to accelerate the commercialisation of this innovation through PeroCycle, a spin-out supported by the University of Birmingham and Anglo American, with venture-building guided by Cambridge Future Tech.

Leonardo Silvestre, Executive Innovation Manager at CBMM, remarked:

“This partnership represents a significant step toward finding sustainable and viable industrial solutions. With its technical and economic potential, niobium offers exciting possibilities for decarbonizing steel and other sectors. We remain committed to supporting innovation and sustainability across global markets.”

The research will also explore applications in industries beyond steel-making, potentially broadening the impact of the technology.

Professor Yulong Ding, Chamberlain Chair of Chemical Engineering and founder of the University’s Centre for Energy Storage, added:

“Foundation industries like steel-making are some of the toughest to decarbonize. This collaboration brings us closer to an environmentally and economically viable solution that can be adopted at scale.”