KISUMA CHEMICALS BV

Their core work

Kisuma Chemicals is a Dutch specialty chemicals manufacturer based in Veendam, known for producing synthetic hydrotalcite and related mineral-based materials. In the H2020 context, they supply advanced sorbent materials critical for CO2 capture processes in heavy industry, particularly the steel sector. Their participation spans the full chain from sorbent-enhanced water-gas shift (SEWGS) technology to integrated CCUS clusters and industrial symbiosis demonstrators. They serve as the materials supplier enabling carbon capture at pilot and demonstration scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2019), Kisuma focused on supplying sorbent materials for foundational CO2 capture research in steel production, participating in STEPWISE and FReSMe which explored SEWGS technology and gas-to-methanol conversion. From 2020 onward, their work shifted decisively toward large-scale CCUS deployment, industrial symbiosis, and demonstration-scale projects (TRL7) with AI-driven process control. The progression is clear: from materials R&D supporting lab-to-pilot work, toward integrated industrial systems where their products are deployed in real operational environments.

Kisuma is moving from being a materials supplier for research projects toward becoming an integrated partner in full-scale industrial decarbonization demonstrators, with growing interest in AI-optimized chemical processes.

How they like to work

Kisuma consistently participates as a specialist partner rather than leading consortia — all four projects have them in a participant role. With 37 unique partners across 13 countries, they join relatively large consortia (averaging 10+ partners), which is typical for industrial demonstration projects. This pattern suggests they are a trusted, low-friction materials partner that project coordinators bring in when they need reliable sorbent chemistry expertise.

Kisuma has built a broad European network of 37 partners across 13 countries through just four projects, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of industrial CCUS demonstrations. Their network likely centers on Northern European steel and chemicals clusters with connections extending across the EU.

What sets them apart

Kisuma occupies a rare niche: they are an industrial-scale manufacturer of the actual sorbent materials that make carbon capture in heavy industry possible. While many CCUS participants are research institutes or engineering firms, Kisuma brings production capability — they can supply materials not just for pilots but for commercial deployment. For consortium builders, this means having a partner who bridges the gap between lab-proven chemistry and industrial supply chain reality.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INITIATE
  Largest EC funding (EUR 448K), TRL7 demonstration of industrial symbiosis converting captured CO2 to urea with AI-driven control — their most ambitious and applied project.
• C4U
  Directly targets integrated CCUS clusters for the steel industry, connecting Kisuma's sorbent expertise to the emerging European carbon capture infrastructure.
• FReSMe
  Demonstrates CO2 valorization by converting residual steel gases to methanol, showing Kisuma's involvement in circular carbon economy beyond just capture.