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Texas plant converts CO2 to baking soda

Project funded in part by a U.S. economic recovery grant.

By Daniel J. Graeber

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy said a cement plant in Texas is now converting carbon dioxide into useful commercial products using first-of-its-kind technology.

The department and Skyonic Corp. opened the demonstration project at the San Antonio plant. Dubbed the SkyMine project, it's able to capture as much as 75,000 tons of CO2 emitted from the cement plant and turn it into products like sodium carbonate, used as water softener, and sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.

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"Through this partnership, the Department has shown its commitment to finding innovative uses for carbon that can have a positive impact on the economy while also reducing carbon emissions," Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement Tuesday.

More than half of the funds needed to build the SkyMine project came from grants awarded under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Skyonic Corp. said the facility could be used to capture as much as 90 percent of the emissions from flue gas and transform it into products for the commercial market. The company said it expects to generate as much as $48 million in revenue through the technology.

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