Category: Project News

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RWE proudly shares highlights from the 17th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT) conference in Canada, where Peter Moser (RWE) represented our ECO2Fuel project.

With over 1,500 participants from 47 countries, 350 presentations across 71 technical sessions, and 500 e-posters, GHGT-17 was the largest conference of its kind to date. Here, we unveiled the first results of the ECO2Fuel project, showcasing a closed carbon cycle approach based on e-fuels.

Stay tuned for insights from this groundbreaking work aimed at sustainable energy solutions.

All posters that are classified as public can be viewed here.

The ECO2Fuel e-poster can be found here.

Addressing the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, RWE Power has made a significant advancement in the framework of the ECO2Fuel project. They have successfully demonstrated a closed carbon loop system that combines e-Fuel combustion, CO₂ capture and recycling, and heat reuse. This innovative approach addresses the critical need for sustainable energy solutions.

Carbon is a fundamental element that not only forms the basis of life but also plays a crucial role in the modern world, driving many technological advancements. It’s present in a wide range of products and technologies, from the petrol that powers our cars to the cushioning in our running shoes, the electronics we use daily, construction materials, and components of electric vehicles.

Removing up to 99% CO₂ from the exhaust gases

In this regard, RWE, in charge of site-demonstration testing in the ECO2Fuel project, has successfully demonstrated a new method of generating back-up power using environmentally friendly fuels, known as e-Fuels. They used a stationary engine with an electric output of 200 kW for this purpose. The exhaust gases produced by this engine are sent back to a carbon capture plant, which uses a chemical process with amines (compounds often used to remove CO₂) to capture carbon dioxide. This plant captures 7.2  tonnes of CO₂ per day, at a capture rate of 90% of the CO₂ from the exhaust gases. In a recent testing campaign, a capture rate of 99.8% was achieved, resulting in a lower CO₂ concentration in the off-gas from the carbon capture plant than in the atmosphere.

The captured CO₂ is then used as a raw material for the ECO2Fuel demonstrator, which will have a capacity of 1 MW and produces carbon-based e-Fuels. These e-Fuels can be reused in the engine, creating a cycle that recycles the carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere, thus “closing the carbon loop”. In each cycle fossil carbon is replaced by recycled carbon and emissions from fossil feedstock are avoided. Additionally, the high-temperature exhaust gas from the engine is being studied for its potential to be reused for heating and improving overall energy efficiency.

The experts specifically looked at the effects of increased oxygen and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in the exhaust gas on the performance of the CO₂ capture plant, including the energy needed to regenerate the solvent, emissions, and solvent degradation. To do all of this, RWE Power has performed testing campaigns in its operational infrastructure at the Innovation Centre at Niederaussem (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). RWE Power is part of RWE AG, Germany’s largest power producer. The company contributes with its power production capacity of about 6 GW based on lignite, and hydro power to the broad energy mix of the RWE group with renewable energies and natural gas.

To summarise, the advancement presented by our partners lies in the successful integration and demonstration of a closed carbon loop system. This combines e-Fuel combustion, CO₂ capture and recycling, and heat reuse, contributing to the broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions in the energy, transport, and industrial sectors.

Building a low-carbon, climate resilient Europe

This demonstration is a huge milestone in the journey of ECO2Fuel, an European initiative aiming at creating the world’s first 1MW low-temperature electrochemical CO₂ conversion system. In ECO2Fuel, 15 international partners from the chemical, energy, hydrogen, mechanical engineering and automotive industry, and several research institutions are working together to build a low-carbon, climate resilient future by converting 742 tonnes of CO₂ per year into economic and sustainable liquid e-fuels and chemicals.

The efforts made by ECO2Fuel contribute to the ambitious objectives of the European Union in the field of emissions reduction. As expressed by the European Parliament with the adoption of the European Climate Law, which raises the EU’s target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions at least 55% by 2030 (from the current 40%) and makes climate neutrality by 2050 legally binding.

ECO2Fuel is setting a new standard for sustainable energy solutions by demonstrating how carbon can be recycled and reused rather than emitted into the atmosphere. The recent advancement in the project showcases a closed carbon loop system, proving that it’s possible to use e-Fuels and CO₂ capture technology to reduce emissions significantly.

By converting CO₂ into valuable e-Fuels and exploring ways to reuse heat, ECO2Fuel is actively contributing to the EU’s climate goals and demonstrating a viable path toward a net-zero future. These efforts not only change the narrative around carbon use but also inspire hope for a more sustainable, low-carbon Europe.

Learn more about this research here

We are glad to announce that our partner RWE will present the scientific paper “Closing the Carbon Cycle – Demonstrating back-up power production from e-Fuels in gensets and recycling of the engine exhaust gas”, which explains a crucial aspect of the ECO2Fuel project, at the 17th Greenhouse Gas Control Technology Conference (GHGT-17) in Calgary, Canada, from 20^th to 24^th October 2024.

The GHGT-17 is the premier international conference on greenhouse gas reduction technologies, with a specific focus on carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS). This event will bring together researchers, industry leaders, government officials, and business partners fromaround the world to explore cutting-edge technology, innovations, and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

This will be possible thanks to the participation of our partner RWE Power (RWE) which is also part of Germany’s largest power producer. The company contributes with its power production capacity of about 13 GW based on lignite, nuclear and hydro power to the broad energy mix of the RWE group with renewable energies and natural gas. RWE is also Germany’s largest consumer of sewage sludge, a renewable source of CO2 and invests in the development of environmentally friendly technologies.

In the framework of ECO2Fuel, RWE works on demonstrating the process for producing and using climate-friendly synthetic fuels from CO2, aiming to integrate the transport and energy sectors. This involves testing the 1MW ECO2Fuel large-scale demonstrator for over 2000 hours in an industrial setting to reach TRL 7-8. They will also deliver fuel samples for further analysis and demonstrate the use of these fuels in transport and power generation.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is excited to announce its participation in four major events throughout October 2024, where we will showcase our groundbreaking ECO2Fuel project. This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to develop sustainable, renewable energy solutions that address global energy challenges. Below is a recap of the events where DLR will highlight the ECO2Fuel project.

1. Quantum Effects – Stuttgart

Date: 8–9 October 2024 

Location: Stuttgart, Hall 2, Booth D15 

At the Quantum Effects event, DLR will highlight the advanced quantum computing models used in optimizing the ECO2Fuel process. Our participation in this event underscores the pivotal role that cutting-edge technology, such as quantum effects, plays in the acceleration of green fuel solutions.

 2. SolarPACES – Rome

Date: 8–11 October 2024 

Location: Rome 

SolarPACES is the leading conference for the solar power and chemical energy storage community. DLR will be presenting its advancements in solar-driven chemical processes, focusing on how ECO2Fuel leverages concentrated solar energy to produce carbon-neutral fuels, a significant step towards decarbonizing the energy sector.

3. Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo – Hamburg

Date: 22–23 October 2024 

Location: Hamburg, Hall 4, Booth I35 

This event brings together global innovators in the hydrogen industry, and DLR will be presenting how ECO2Fuel integrates with hydrogen technologies to enable carbon-neutral fuel production. DLR’s presence here will highlight the synergies between ECO2Fuel and hydrogen technology, furthering the goal of creating a clean, sustainable energy infrastructure.

4. Electric & Hybrid Aerospace Technology Symposium – Stuttgart

Date: 30–31 October 2024 

Location: Frankfurt, Booth 410 

As part of this symposium, DLR will showcase the role of ECO2Fuel in the future of aviation, specifically within the electric and hybrid aerospace sector. ECO2Fuel has the potential to revolutionize sustainable fuel production for aerospace applications, paving the way for cleaner skies.

Join Us in Advancing Clean Energy Solutions

DLR invites you to meet with our experts and learn more about ECO2Fuel at any of these events. Together, we can drive forward the development of sustainable energy technologies that will shape the future of global energy systems.

About ECO2Fuel

ECO2Fuel is a cutting-edge initiative focused on the conversion of renewable energy into carbon-neutral synthetic fuels. It represents DLR’s commitment to advancing innovative, green technologies in the fight against climate change and towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

See you there!

ECO2Fuel Achieves Major Milestone with Scaled-Up 50kW Stack Design

After a rigorous two-and-a-half-year development process, the ECO2Fuel team has successfully reached a significant milestone.

In a recent review meeting including a site visit at VITO in Belgium, the team showcased – in the presence of the European Commission project officer – their groundbreaking achievements on: The successful assembly of the 50kW stack on the ECO2Fuel electrolyser testing site and on cell components including electrocatalysts, membranes and bipolar plates.

A unique 50kW large-stack design

One of the most ambitious goals of the ECO2Fuel project has been realised: the development and implementation of a 50 kW stack within the ECO2Fuel electrolyser system. This stack is the core of the ECO2FUEL electrolysis process where CO2 is converted to e- fuels with the use of sustainable electricity. The electrolyser system is able to work at elevated pressures, has a continuous gas monitoring system and ability to recycle the cathodic gas mixture in order to increase the conversion of CO2.

Scaling up the system is a key objective of the project, with the aim of testing it at 1MW scale on the RWE site in Germany by 2026. This requirement necessitated a cell design of 1500 cm² exceeding most currently used, pressurised CO2 electrolysis stacks. For the 50kW stack, in total 25 cells of 1500cm² are used, which creates a total area of 3,75m². The 1500cm² cell equals the current state-of-the-art in PEM (proton exchange membrane) water electrolysis. The reason for choosing this size of the stack was mainly the possibility to easily scale this stack further to 1MW without changing the single cell design. Already now several challenges were encountered and dealt with, such as sealing of the stack at higher pressures, gas- and liquid flow management, structural integrity of the stack components, etc.

Currently, the team is conducting extensive testing to ensure the system’s efficiency, focusing on the electricity conductivity of the membranes, the chemical conversion process, and overall system stabilization.

CO2 electrolyser stack characteristics:

• Rectangular shaped electrodes
• Innovative way to decouple cathodic reaction from oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the anode
• Suitable for gas/liquid process
• Possibility to use very thin active components such as electrodes and membranes

Fit for pressures up to 45barg

Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn to get weekly updates about our work and next steps!

Sabrina Campagna Zignani’s Poster Presentation Showcases Innovative Use of Non-CRM Materials for Synthetic Fuel Production

At the 9th Symposium on Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Advanced Batteries, held in the vibrant setting of Hyceltec 2024, the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) made waves with a groundbreaking poster presentation by Sabrina Campagna Zignani. The presentation focused on an innovative approach to the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable synthetic fuels using non-critical raw materials (non-CRM).

A New Horizon in Synthetic Fuel Production

Zignani’s research delves into the current challenges and advancements in CO2 conversion technologies. Traditionally, copper-based materials have been the catalysts of choice due to their effectiveness in promoting this reaction. However, Zignani’s work introduces a novel copper oxide electrocatalyst combined with silver (CuO 70% Ag 30%), synthesized via the oxalate method and tested in a flow cell system.

Promising Results in Electrochemical Experiments

The electrochemical experiments, conducted at room temperature across varying potentials (-1.05V to -0.75V vs. RHE) in the presence of 0.1 M KHCO3, yielded impressive results. Gas and liquid chromatographic analysis revealed that the CuOx-based electrodes demonstrated a 25% selectivity for formic acid (HCOOH) at -0.55V, while ethylene (C2H4) achieved a 20% selectivity at -1.05V over CuOx.

Diverse Product Range from CO2 Conversion

The study highlighted the formation of various valuable chemicals including ethylene, ethanol, and propanol at more positive potentials. Additionally, products such as carbon monoxide (CO), acetate (CH3COO), ethylene glycol (C2H6O2), propionaldehyde (C3H6O), glycoaldehyde (C2H4O2), and glyoxal (C2H2O2) were detected, showcasing the versatility and potential of this catalytic system.

A Step Towards Sustainable Energy Solutions

The findings presented by Sabrina Campagna Zignani emphasize the promising future of synthetic fuel production from CO2 in alkaline environments at room temperature. This research marks a significant step forward in the quest for sustainable energy solutions, reducing dependency on critical raw materials and advancing the field of green chemistry.

For more details on the symposium and the innovative research presented, visit Hyceltec 2024.

We successfully commissioned the exhaust gas feeding system into our carbon capture pilot plant, located on the premises of RWE. During the test, a diesel engine was run at full load, and all of its exhaust gas was fed into the carbon capture unit.

Remarkably, we achieved a CO2 capture rate of over 90%, approximately 95%, despite the diesel exhaust having a lower CO2 content compared to the lignite-fired power plant emissions. This difference posed a greater challenge to the capture process, requiring extra vigilance and expertise from our operators. However, they managed the process efficiently and effectively.

While there are still some open items that need to be addressed, we are pleased to report that the system is now operational.

Development of NiFeOx electrocatalyst for OER

Anode NiFe oxide material developed under the ECO2Fuel project demonstrates high performance towards O2 Evolution Reaction (OER) and has been successfully produced in large scale by MONOLITHOS (Figure 1). The high electrochemical efficiency of the upscaled material has been verified into a CO2-H2O electrochemical cell.

Development of Cu₂O electrocatalyst for CO2RR

Cathodic Cu₂O material developed under the ECO2Fuel project demonstrates significant advancements in enhanced activity towards CO₂ Reduction Reaction (CO2RR). The electrocatalyst is successfully produced by MONOLITHOS (Figure 2). Optimization of synthetic parameters and large-scale development of the material is ongoing for preparing highly efficient electrocatalyst with minimal wastes and energy consumption.