Collaboration with the Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry (CSIC)

20/04/2026

Project Material Capture and Transform CO2

The Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, met with researchers from the Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry (ICP-CSIC), together with the head of the CO₂ Alert project of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), Carmen López, to learn first-hand about the progress of the state institution in terms of the capture and transformation of gases, one of the main challenges in La Palma after the eruption. This joint effort integrates first-level scientific knowledge with real needs of the territory, especially in areas such as Puerto Naos and La Bombilla, where the accumulation of CO₂ in soils and buildings continues to condition the safe return of the population.

In this context, the ICP has developed an innovative technology based on a biohybrid material capable of capturing, concentrating and transforming CO₂ into bicarbonate by catalysis into a thin cleanable layer. This advance, published in a scientific journal of maximum impact (Download publication in pdf), has demonstrated in the laboratory a high efficiency at concentrations lower than 2,000 ppm, with great stability and reuse. The current challenge is to scale this solution to real conditions, with higher concentrations of CO₂ coming from the subsoil, complementing other measures already developed in La Palma such as decompression, forced ventilation, seals or active paints.

The investigation is signed by Dr. José M. Palomo and the Doctor. Carla García-Sanz, both from the ICP-CSIC. Together with the IGN and its work deployed since the eruption in 2021 on the Island, a multidisciplinary work network oriented to real solutions is reinforced.