Chateando con la Ciencia: Juan C. Abánades, from the Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del Carbono del (INCAR, CSIC)
“Technologies for capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere”
Event overview: As part of the Chateando con la Ciencia series, organised by the Real Zaragoza Club de Tenis in collaboration with the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA), we explore a critical tool in the fight against climate change.
While interest in climate action fluctuates, the impact of CO₂ emissions on the global climate is certain. To limit global warming to below 1.5 °C or 2 °C, experts agree that reducing emissions is no longer enough; we must remove CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. This session will review the current status and rapid global development of large-scale capture technologies. We will discuss the technical challenges of processing massive volumes of air and the use of absorbent materials, such as calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime), a key focus for the CSIC research group. Furthermore, the talk will address the vital question: what should be done with pure CO₂ once it has been separated from the atmosphere?
About the speaker: The lecture will be delivered by Juan Carlos Abánades, a Research Professor at the CSIC’s Institute of Carbon Science and Technology (INCAR). Professor Abánades is an international pioneer in Calcium Looping technologies, holds over 10 international patents, and was a lead author for the IPCC’s special report on CO₂ capture and storage. For his contributions to the IPCC, he received a personalised copy of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also the coordinator of the European CaLby2030 project.
Practical information:
- Date: Thursday, 19 February 2026.
- Time: 19:00.
- Format: Video conference (restricted to 100 participants).
- Registration: Please request an access code by emailing palacio@unizar.es before 18 February.
