Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, often abbreviated CO2RR, is a process that uses electrical energy to convert carbon dioxide into more reduced chemical species such as formate, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene or ethanol. When the electricity comes from renewable sources and the carbon dioxide is drawn from industrial emissions or the atmosphere, the process functions as a form of carbon capture and utilization, cutting emissions while turning waste carbon dioxide into useful chemicals. Several companies, including Siemens and Twelve, are now developing pilot and demonstration scale systems, though the field still faces real obstacles in electricity cost, competition from established petrochemical production, and the need to purify carbon dioxide before it can be processed electrochemically.