Electrochemical CO2 reduction to Ethylene for industrial applications

The dramatic and faster than predicted price reduction of renewable electricity [1] has led to new business opportunities for industrial exploitation of electrochemistry and in particular electrochemical reduction of CO2. Renewable electricity prices has now entered a regime where it is becoming economically favorable to chose CO2 electrolysis over fossil based routes for production of chemicals and fuels, effectively transforming CO2 from a harmful waste product into a resource used for creating essential and valuable products needed in today’s society. Since 2013 Siemens has been developing a product platform for electrochemical reduction of CO2 into CO and small chain length hydrocarbons. Based on technology developed in a former HTF project (068-2011-1) Siemens has developed a new method for producing gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) and has demonstrated the potential and scalability of the electrodes at industrially relevant current densities and active areas. Currently Siemens has reached a stage where upscaling of the CO2 to CO electrolysis is ongoing and the first customer based pilot-plant will be operational in early 2021 [2] with a market launch following thereafter.The proposed project will combine the cross-disciplinary competences of DTU and Siemens within surface physics, catalysis and electrochemistry to produce catalysts and electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion technologies.
The objectives of the project are:
•To develop an industrially relevant catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene (C2H4).
•To develop and optimize a manufacturing process for gas diffusion electrodes with maximized C2H4 yield (target: min. 60% selectivity at 100mA/cm2 at 60°C).
•To demonstrate electrode lifetime of at least 500 h.
•To prepare large-scale production of a generic electrode platform for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene as well as CO and other hydrocarbons.