Scientists at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen are to embark on a £250,000 research project that aims to achieve a world first by using a plasma electrolyser to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbons for energy use.
If successful, the method could enable the use of renewable energy for the efficient conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons, while revolutionising approaches to decarbonising heavy industry—one of the key challenges in the energy transition.
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Through this process, they will aim to create an electrochemical reaction by applying a voltage between two electrodes in a weakly ionised gas, resulting in the reduction of CO2 and the oxidation of hydrogen.
This combination of plasma-catalysis and electrocatalysis could allow the use of renewable electricity generated by renewable sources to power a plasma electrolyser, in an entirely new process that would efficiently convert CO2 back to hydrocarbons, reducing CO2 emissions as part of a circular economy model.
The scientists’ aim is to build a prototype device that could help to generate a renewable form of energy that could be used for efficient energy storage, or to decarbonise important industrial processes that produce a lot of CO2 such as cement or steel production.
Professor Angel Cuesta Ciscar explained, “The energy transition requires technologies for efficient energy storage and conversion or to enable the decarbonisation of industrial processes, and this is where electrochemical processes can play a crucial role.
“But while these processes are inherently energy efficient, they’re often still not efficient enough to overcome cost barriers.
“There is a potential solution to this, where a reaction would be induced applying a voltage between two electrodes in a weakly ionised gas, resulting in the reduction of CO2 and the oxidation of hydrogen.
“This combination of plasma-catalysis and electrocatalysis has the potential to enable efficient conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons driven by renewable electricity, thereby contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases and to a fairer and more sustainable transition to a net zero.”
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Science Minister George Freeman said, “Harnessing science, technology and innovation is fundamental to achieving clean growth.
“By investing in innovative clean tech projects like those announced today we are supporting both UK research and our global clean tech sector.”
