DOPS Recycling Secures €5 Million for Waste Innovation
Netherlands, Saturday, 3 May 2025.
DOPS Recycling Technologies raised €5 million to enhance DCI™ technology, transforming waste into reusable materials and biofuels, addressing pollution and promoting sustainability in the Netherlands.
Revolutionary DCI™ Technology
DOPS Recycling Technologies, based in Alkmaar, North Holland [2], has developed a groundbreaking solution for waste management through their Direct Carbon Immobilization (DCI™) technology. The innovation addresses a crucial environmental challenge in the Netherlands, where approximately eight million tons of waste is incinerated annually [1]. The technology can convert over 90% of waste that would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled into valuable raw materials [1][2].
Technical Innovation and Process
The DCI™ process operates by heating complex waste streams in an oxygen-free reactor to 1,000 degrees Celsius [1]. At this temperature, hydrocarbons break down into their basic elements - carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The technology produces valuable materials including syngas and carbon, achieving this transformation with minimal CO₂ emissions [1]. Through efficient heat recovery systems and the use of refractory materials, the process maintains economic viability even at lower processing volumes [1].
Investment and Future Development
The €5 million seed investment comes from a consortium including the Rotterdam Energy Transition Fund of Innovation Quarter, ROM InWest, North Holland Innovation Fund, Init Power, CarbonFix, and Alphatron [1]. The funding will enable DOPS to construct a modular unit (M-DCI) for comprehensive system testing, marking a crucial step toward establishing their first commercial facility [1].
Market Impact and Environmental Benefits
According to Michiel Spits, CEO of DOPS Recycling Technologies, ‘Our technology ensures that waste becomes the beginning, not the end, of new, valuable raw materials’ [1]. The innovation arrives at a critical time when the European Union is advancing its circular economy initiatives, as evidenced by the recent adoption of the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation on April 19, 2025 [5].