From Carbon Capture to Carbon Circulation

Why Splitting Fuel and Power Makes Net-Zero Work For more than a decade, the global energy transition has been framed as a choice between intermittent renewables and carbon capture. One promises clean energy but struggles with reliability; the other preserves reliability but is criticised for cost and complexity. Carbon Recycling Technology (CRT) starts from a different premise: carbon is not waste to be buried, but a recyclable carrier that can circulate continuously within the energy system. At Clean Energy and Water Technologies (CEWT), the most important step in making this idea commercially credible has been splitting fuel production and power generation into two distinct, conventional business units. Carbon is not the fuel. Energy is. In CRT, hydrogen produced from renewable electricity provides the energy, while carbon atoms act as a recyclable molecular carrier. Carbon dioxide is captured, converted into Renewable Synthetic Methane Gas (RSMG), used as fuel, captured again after combustion, and returned to the cycle. Two units. One closed carbon loop. The fuel production unit manufactures RSMG using renewable electricity and recycled carbon dioxide. It operates like a conventional fuel business, selling a pipeline-quality product under long-term contracts. The power generation unit is a standard 135 MW gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) plant. It purchases RSMG, generates dispatchable electricity, captures all CO2 produced, and transfers it back for reuse. Why separation matters. Separating fuel and power delivers commercial clarity, regulatory clarity, and financial robustness. Fuel is sold. Power is sold. Carbon is measured and recycled. Carbon-neutral by design. Carbon-negative by choice. The base configuration delivers carbon-neutral fuel and zero-emission electricity through physical carbon recycling. Carbon-negative outcomes are possible where additional CO2 is incorporated, but these are treated as optional upside. Designed for the real world. CRT integrates with existing gas infrastructure, turbines, and grids. It does not depend on offsets or fragile policy mechanisms. Founder’s note: Carbon Recycling Technology reflects a simple conviction: nature does not waste carbon—it cycles it. Aligning energy systems with this principle allows net-zero to scale. Ahilan Raman Founder & Managing Director, CEWT