Carbon Recycling Fund Institute
The Carbon Recycling Fund Institute is a Japanese-led initiative advancing the development of technologies to recycle waste Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes into useful products such as building materials, fuels, and high value chemicals. The CRF supports these programs through the provision of grants to assist in development of projects that recycle and utilise CO2.
In 2025, LETA became the first foreign organisation to support the CRF to help accelerate the commercialisation of scalable technologies with potential for application in heavy industries. Thanks to LETA’s contributions, the CRF program has awarded grant funding to 22 projects in 2025 addressing a broad range of CO2 recycling and utilisation initiatives.
Why CO₂ utilisation matters
The Carbon Recycling Fund Institute accelerates CO₂ utilisation pathways that convert would-be emissions into useful products like synthetic fuels, plastics and polymers, cement additives and industrial carbonates.
By converting a CO₂ waste stream into a feedstock that factories use to make other products, these technologies can create circular-carbon supply chains: CO₂ is captured, transformed into inputs industry already uses, and fed back into production. Because many processes are compatible with existing equipment, they can be scaled and integrated into current plants alongside other low emission measures.
Where is this happening?
CRF supported are primarily conducted across Japan, in partnership with universities, national research institutes, and industry R&D sites, with select international collaborations, including Australia and the United States.
How does this fit with LETA’s mission?
LETA is focused on supporting the development of technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions stemming from hard-to-abate industries that utilise Australian resources . Supporting the CRF extends LETA’s portfolio of tech solutions across CO₂ capture and separation, utilisation and mineralisation for sectors like steel, cement, power generation, petrochemical production and mining.
By collaborating with CRF, we support emerging solutions, accelerate learning, and open pathways to real-world deployment in Australia.