UP Catalyst and SGC Energy Partner to Bring Sustainable Carbon Nanotube and Graphite Production to South Korea

UP Catalyst, Estonian deep-tech company converting industrial CO₂ emissions into battery-grade Graphite and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), is collaborating with South Korean industrial conglomerate SGC Energy to develop and commercialise its proprietary Molten Salt CO₂ Capture and Electrochemical Transformation (MSCC-ET) electrolysis technology in Korea.

The partnership marks a significant step in UP Catalyst’s Asian expansion strategy, bringing its carbon-negative battery raw material production technology to South Korea, home to global battery manufacturers.

 

Partnership Scope

 – The two companies will collaborate across four key areas:

– Technology verification and performance evaluation

– Deployment of a demonstration system in Korea for local sample production

– Commercial-scale facility development serving the Korean CNT and graphite market

– Exploration of future cooperation models including joint venture, technology licensing and joint participation in government support projects

 

SGC Energy will provide CO₂ supply and infrastructure, including access to SGC Energy’s industrial-scale CCU facility at its Gunsan plant. UP Catalyst will contribute its proprietary technology, intellectual property and manufacturing expertise built at its pilot facility in Estonia.

 

“Capturing CO₂ was the beginning of the journey for SGC. The real ambition is to close the loop and build a genuinely circular carbon model, ” said Ken Yoon, CSO of SGC Energy. “ UP Catalyst’s technology represents exactly the kind of innovative solution Korea needs to decarbonise its industrial sector while strengthening domestic battery supply chains. ”

 

SGC operates Korea’s first and largest private-sector industrial-scale CCU facility at its Gunsan plant, capturing 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually to produce liquid carbon dioxide with a purity of over 99.9%.

“Korea is one of the most important battery markets in the world and SGC Energy is the ideal partner to bring our technology to Asia, ” said Rait Maasikas, CEO of UP Catalyst. “ This partnership accelerates our mission to transform industrial CO₂ from a liability into a critical raw material for the global energy transition. ”

 

The partnership builds on more than a year of cross-border collaboration. Teams from both companies exchanged visits — UP Catalyst’s pilot facility in Estonia and SGC Energy’s Gunsan plant in Korea to evaluate technology and infrastructure firsthand. The quality and consistency of UP Catalyst’s nanocarbon output, observed during these visits, gave both teams the confidence to move forward.

 

In October 2025, a delegation including H.E. Tanel Sepp, Ambassador of Estonia to Korea, visited the Gunsan CCU facility alongside both teams. The visit strengthened the foundation for collaboration, with technical work, site evaluations and joint planning continuing in the months that followed.

source : UP Catalyst