Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is an effective method for storing intermittent renewable energy. This could result in fuel additives and chemical feedstocks such as alcohols. A challenge of electrochemical alcohol production is the transfer of electrons and protons, as well as the formation of C–C bonds. As of now, copper-based materials are the most commonly used and effective catalysts. Although CuOx is considered a promising catalyst for electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR), significant improvements in product selectivity are still needed. This paper presents some results obtained using copper oxide as a cathode, combined with 33% of ionomer, nickel iron as anode, and membrane Fumatech as electrolyte. As a result of physico-chemical experiments, morphological measurements of the cathode, electrochemical experiments carried out with a complete zero-gap cell operating under alkaline conditions, and gas-chromatographic (GC) analyses of the cathode outlet stream, we determined that methyl formate, ethanol, and propanol were mainly obtained at a rate of 116.3 μmol gcat−1h−1 during operation at 2.2 V.
Zignani, S.C., Lo Faro, M., Carbone, A. et al. Alkaline electrolysis using CuOx cathode for the conversion of carbon dioxide into liquid fuels. Mater Renew Sustain Energy12, 141–146 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-023-00235-6
Decipher the Certification of Carbon Dioxide Removals: A Comprehensive Analysis
In the quest to combat climate change, the certification of carbon dioxide removals has emerged as a critical element. This article, based on an extensive study conducted by the Umweltbundesamt, provides an in-depth analysis of the Commission’s proposal on the certification of carbon dioxide removals.
The Basics of Carbon Dioxide Removal Certification
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a key strategy in the global fight against climate change. It involves the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and its storage in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. The certification of these removals is a crucial step in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of these efforts.
The European Commission has proposed a Certification Framework for Carbon Removals (CRCF) as a regulatory framework to monitor, report, verify, and certify activities which remove CO2 from the atmosphere in the EU. This framework is endorsed by scientific experts and has been extensively tested.
The Importance of High-Quality Certification
High-quality certification for CDR matters because it strengthens the trust in these removal methods and empowers the fight against climate change. The certification framework categorizes removal methods into three categories: permanent carbon storage, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products.
The certification process is designed to be transparent and accountable. All information on the certified removals is made publicly available and traceable, ensuring that the process is completely above board.
The European Commission’s Role in Carbon Dioxide Removal Certification
The European Commission plays a pivotal role in the certification of carbon dioxide removals. It has proposed a comprehensive framework that includes robust monitoring, reporting, and verification systems. This framework is designed to ensure that the removals are real, measurable, and additional to what is required by other policies and regulations.
The Commission’s proposal is a significant step towards achieving net-zero emissions throughout the EU by 2050 under the European Climate Law. It is a testament to the EU’s commitment to leading the world in carbon removal and climate change mitigation.
The Future of Carbon Dioxide Removal Certification
The certification of carbon dioxide removals is a rapidly evolving field. As our understanding of climate change and carbon removal methods improves, so too will the certification processes and standards. The European Commission’s proposal is just the beginning of this journey.
In the future, we can expect to see more stringent standards, more comprehensive monitoring and reporting systems, and a greater emphasis on transparency and accountability. The certification of carbon dioxide removals will continue to play a crucial role in our global fight against climate change.
In conclusion, the certification of carbon dioxide removals is a vital tool in our arsenal against climate change. It ensures the quality and effectiveness of carbon removal efforts and strengthens the trust in these methods. The European Commission’s proposal for a certification framework is a significant step forward in this regard, and it sets the stage for further advancements in the future.
A raving success: Trilateral Online Workshop eCCU3 on Carbon Capture and Electrochemical Utilization of CO2 counts 424 participants from all over the world
Without a strong contribution from all economic sectors the net-zero climate protection targets cannot be achieved. Fossil feedstock for the chemical industry and fossil fuels for long-distance transport must be substituted. Therefore, the reduction of CO₂ emissions by carbon capture and utilization (CCU) and an intersectoral carbon cycle economy will be crucial for the transformation of the supply systems in the future.
Benefits of lectrochemical synthesis technologies
Very promising are electrochemical synthesis technologies (eCCU) to produce fuels and base chemicals from renewable electricity and captured CO₂ as they can simplify process chains, reduce components and avoid high temperatures and pressures. In contradiction, the conventional thermo-chemical synthesis routes based on CO₂ and electrolytically produced H2 typically require temperatures >300°C and pressures >20bar for the reverse water-gas-shift reaction and consecutive process steps. Additionally, eCCU reduces the need for a H2 infrastructure, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and offers security of supply and grid stability in an energy scenario relying heavily on renewable power generation.
For the economic viability it is a great advantage to couple the cathodic CO₂ reduction with a suitable oxidation reaction at the anode in order to avoid the formation of oxygen which normally cannot be utilized and would then be released to the atmosphere. Coupling of oxidative and reductive electrosynthesis processes is a key to improve efficiency while reducing costs, wastes and emissions.
Introducing the OCEAN project
That is exactly what is now demonstrated as part of the European Horizon 2020-funded project OCEAN (No. 767798; www.spire2030.eu/ocean) at RWE’s Innovation Center at Niederaussem, Germany.
The process was engineered by Avantium, a leading technology company in renewable chemistry from the Netherlands, and the 6 kWel unit was constructed by the Italian engineering company Hysytech. Potassium formate is produced simultaneously at both electrodes of the electrochemical cell, cathode and anode. At the anode, glycerol – a by-product of the biodiesel production – is the feedstock and at the cathode CO₂ is converted. In consecutive processes, oxalic acid can be produced from the formate as an intermediate for high-value specialty chemicals.
E-fuels will be needed in applications where the poor energy density of batteries or hydrogen is prohibitive (e.g. aviation and long-haul transportation by truck and ship). E-fuels like alcohols and hydrocarbons offer a way to store and transport chemical energy effectively with a high density at a large scale and for long periods of time.
From LOTER.CO2M to ECO2Fuel
E-fuels allow to use the existing supply system and infrastructure and could defossilize the existing vehicle fleet. The project LOTER.CO2M (No. 761093; www.loterco2m.eu) has developed advanced low-cost electro-catalysts for the direct electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to methanol and other important industrial feedstocks, like ethanol and ethylene.
The developed electrochemical synthesis system works without the use of critical raw materials. A containerized 5 kWel demonstrator of the low-temperature and low-pressure CO₂-H2O co-electrolysis has been manufactured by the Belgian technology developer VITO. The LOTER.CO2M technology builds the basis for the follow-up project ECO2Fuel (No. 101037389) which aims at the realization of the worldwide first low-temperature 1 MW direct, electrochemical CO₂ conversion system to produce sustainable liquid e-fuels (C1-C4 alcohols) under industrially relevant conditions.
The OCEAN and LOTER.CO2M units are fed by CO₂ that is captured by RWE’s amine-based post-combustion capture pilot plant. It’s operated 24/7 by the team on site. In the ongoing test program, the performance of the technology is assessed. The operational behavior during startup, ramp up/down cycles, operational parameter variations and continuous full-load operation are evaluated. Both projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreements No 767798 (OCEAN) and 761093 (LOTER.CO2M).
Carbon Capture and electrochemical Utilization of CO2 – From research to industrial application
Without a substantial contribution from all economic sectors the net-zero climate protection targets cannot be achieved. Fossil feedstock for the chemical industry and fossil fuels for long-distance transport must be substituted. Therefore, the reduction of CO2 emissions by carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) and an intersectoral carbon cycle economy will be crucial in the transformation of the future supply systems. Very promising are electrochemical synthesis technologies to produce fuels and base chemicals from water, renewable electricity, and captured CO2 as they avoid the effort of high synthesis temperatures and pressures.
In contradiction, the conventional thermochemical synthesis routes based on CO2 and electrolytically produced H2 typically require temperatures >300°C and pressures >20bar for the reverse-water gas-shift reaction and consecutive reaction steps. Additionally, eCCU reduces the need for a H2 infrastructure and the coupling of renewable power generation and carbon utilisation offers carbon-neutral chemicals and fuels, security of supply, grid stability, and emission reduction.
Twenty-two partners from nine countries representing industry, research institutes, and universities are advancing the electrochemical CO2 utilisation in the three European-funded projects LOTER.CO2M, ECO2Fuel and OCEAN by demonstrating the complete technology chains at RWE’s Innovation Center at Niederaussem, comprising post-combustion CO2 capture and its utilisation in the electrochemical synthesis units of:
Critical Raw Material-free Low-Temperature Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Methanol The 5 kW demonstrator of LOTER.CO2M uses advanced, low-cost electrocatalysts and membranes for the direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol and ethanol by low-temperature CO2-H2O co-electrolysis. LOTER.CO2M passes the baton on to the follow-up project ECO2Fuel.
Large-scale low-temperature electrochemical CO2 Conversion to sustainable liquid fuels ECO2Fuel aims to design, manufacture, operate, and validate the worldwide first low-temperature 1 MW direct, electrochemical CO2 conversion system to produce sustainable liquid e-fuels (C1-C4 alcohols) under industrially relevant conditions.
Oxalic acid from CO2 using electrochemistry at demonstration scale The 6 kW unit of OCEAN demonstrates an innovative tandem electro-synthesis: Potassium formate is produced simultaneously at both electrodes of the electrochemical cell, cathode and anode. At the anode, glycerol – a by-product of the biodiesel production – is the resource. At the cathode CO2 is the feedstock. In consecutive processes oxalic acid can be produced from the formate.
The eCCU3 Workshop brings together the international experts from the three European demonstration projects, scientists from various research fields, and the public. It will provide a broad overview of the progress and potential of eCCU. The attendees can follow six presentations on all aspects of electrochemical CO2 utilisation and have the opportunity to discuss the status and prospects of the technology.
The three projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreements No 767798 (OCEAN), 761093 (LOTER.CO2M) and 101037389 (ECO2Fuel).
The ECO2Fuel project will therefore consolidate the EU’s first-mover advantage in the green technology sector and strengthen its competitiveness with an innovative and disruptive technology to meet its emission targets by 2050.
The radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will require actions in all sectors that are inherently different and difficult, asking for an almost total re-thinking of our day-to-day energy management. This is how LOTER.CO2M was born.
Droughts and wildfires, freshwater shortages, floods, pests and invasive species, food and water wars, and climate migration are just some of the threats we face today with climate change in Europe.
As a forerunner in environmental protection worldwide, the European Union attempts to pull the plug on global warming with its many initiatives, especially the Green Deal. With its 2030 Climate Target Plan under the Green Deal, the European Commission proposes raising the EU’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030.
However, this radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will require actions in all sectors that are inherently different and difficult, asking for an almost total re-thinking of our day-to-day energy management. This increases the hurdle to achieving efficient decarbonisation cost-effectively on time. And while it is true that a green carbon-neutral future isn’t achievable without implementing significant changes, we need to have low-threshold solutions allowing us to kickstart the transition without larger sacrifices to our everyday life quality.
With this in mind, we initiated LOTER.CO2M (This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 under the Grant Agreement number 761093) in 2018 attempting to convert CO2 with renewable electricity and water into carbon-neutral fuels and value-added chemicals in a single step without the need for hydrogen.
By doing this we replace the fossil carbon in fuels and critical chemicals with renewable, recycled carbon from CO2 and ease the transition to a carbon-neutral future without any compromises.
In three years of intensive research and development with partners from the industry (RWE, Bekaert, JohnsonMatthey EWII, and research organisations DLR, CNR, VITO, UVP and DTU) we developed critical raw material free catalysts, membranes, stack and a functioning 5kW CO2 electrolyzer and raised the technological readiness level from three to five.
Today, the electroylzer is operated at RWE in Niederaußem with waste CO2 and renewable electricity to efficiently generate carbon-neutral fuels (mainly carbon monoxide, methane, and ethylene).
Following this success story aiming to further our contribution to the EU’s climate target plan, we head out to upscale the LOTER.CO2M technology to build the world’s first direct CO2 electrolyzer at a 1MW scale and received the support of the European Union. As of October 2021, experts from 15 international organizations from industry and research are working together in the ECO2Fuel project to lift the LOTER.CO2M’s technology readiness level from 5 to 7 and push it toward commercialization for a greener and fossil fuel independent future.
The 1MW ECO2Fuel CO2 electrolyzer will convert 229 tons of CO2 to carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals considering a direct connection to renewable energy sources with an operation time of 2701 hours/year, which translates to converting 85kg of CO2 per hour.
The European Union aims to develop solutions that will assure the carbon neutrality and climate resilience of Europe and to contribute substantially to similar achievements in neighbouring and developing countries in the second half of the century. This very ambitious goal requires a highly integrated approach through the multiple angles of society, economy, technology, industrial value chains and environment, health, land use and governance.
In ECO2Fuel, 15 international partners from the chemical, energy, hydrogen, mechanical engineering and automotive industry, and several research institutions set out to contribute to this goal by building the worldwide first CO2 conversion system to convert 742 tons of CO2 per year into economic and sustainable liquid e-fuels and chemicals. This will be achieved via a novel low temperature, single-step, and critical-raw material free electrochemical route that was developed in the European funded LOTER.CO2M project.
With this, ECO2Fuel aims to contribute to the EU goals in shaping a green future and counteract man-made climate change.
The project aims to demonstrate the potential of this technology on an industrial scale and secure Europe’s lead in the global race for the development of carbon dioxide recovery technologies. “With the international consortium of ECO2Fuel from Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Greece and the Netherlands, we will be driving the electrochemical CO2 reduction towards commercialization in the coming five years, assuring the leading position of the EU in developing green technologies for a brighter future”, says Dr. Schwan Hosseiny, Project Coordinator and Scientist at DLR.
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