Products from Electrochemical CO? Reduction: Syngas

At #CO2L Tech, we're developing cutting-edge electrochemical technologies that transform CO? directly from emission sources into valuable industrial chemicals and materials. By sharing our insights and addressing the challenges ahead, we aim to raise awareness and foster collaboration in the fight against carbon emissions. Today, we’re highlighting syngas, one of the main products that can be obtained through Electrochemical CO? Reduction (ECR).

Syngas, primarily composed of H? and CO, is traditionally produced via:

• Steam reforming of methane: CH? + H?O → CO + 3H?
• Partial oxidation of methane: CH? + ?O? → CO + 2H?
• Coal gasification: 3C + O? + H?O → 3CO + H?

Syngas plays a crucial role in industrial applications, such as the production of methanol and liquid hydrocarbons through the Fischer-Tropsch process, and is also a key source of H? for fuel cells and ammonia production.

Electrochemical CO? Reduction to Syngas

ECR to syngas has been extensively studied. In ECR, CO is the simplest 2-electron product from CO?, while H? is produced from water reduction:

• CO? + H?O + 2e? → CO + 2OH?
• 2H?O + 2e? → H? + 2OH?

Silver-based catalysts are often used for their high selectivity and stability in converting CO? to CO. Recently, single-atom catalysts have shown potential to further enhance ECR efficiency, and solid oxide electrolysis offers a promising approach for generating green syngas. Many startups are piloting ECR technology to produce syngas, with a focus on upgrading it to liquid fuels.

Challenges

While the technology for ECR to syngas is advancing, the biggest challenge is cost. Syngas from traditional methods is extremely cheap, often even less expensive than the pure CO? (e.g. from DAC) required for most ECR processes. This makes it difficult for ECR to be cost-competitive, even with 100% single-pass conversion (albeit unrealistic). Given the current price of renewable electricity and the market value of syngas, ECR struggles to compete with established industrial processes. However, the future potential of this technology remains promising, especially as renewable energy becomes more accessible and affordable.

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