FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND VISITS CRI

On Thursday October 12th, CRI was honored to receive a visit from First Minister of Scotland, Ms. Nicola Sturgeon, to Carbon Recycling International's George Olah CO₂-to-methanol plant.

The First Minister came to Iceland to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly, an annual gathering in Reykjavik of governments, organizations and corporations with an interest in securing a sustainable future for the arctic region.

Director of Sales and Marketing at CRI, Ómar Sigurbjörnsson, took Ms. Sturgeon and her staff on a tour of the production plant and explained CRI's unique process, which produces renewable methanol by combining CO₂ and hydrogen, generated from water with electricity from renewable sources. The plant is the first of its kind and demonstrates the technical and economic feasibility of production of low carbon intensity fuels and chemicals with carbon capture and utilization. 

When asked about the potential for collaboration between Scotland and Iceland in a subsequent interview with Icelandic Channel 2 TV,  Ms. Sturgeon said "...I went to visit Carbon Recycling International, out near the Blue lagoon, and learned a lot there about how they're using CO₂ to create methanol clean energy. There's a lot for us to learn there."

At the Artic Circle Assembly, the Minister remarked “...with Scotland employing almost 60,000 people in low carbon industries, there is still scope for significant further growth. Our northern nation neighbours are obvious partners in this. Scotland is taking an increasingly prominent role in the work of the Arctic Circle Assembly and associated cooperation, and I believe there are clear benefits for us all by forming closer ties.”