Oxylus Energy, an American cleantech company founded in 2023, has developed a novel approach to converting carbon dioxide into green methanol using a single-step electrochemical process. The green methanol can serve multiple applications, including as a drop-in fuel replacement for traditional fossil fuels and as a precursor for sustainable aviation fuel. The company aims to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping and aviation that currently contribute significantly to global emissions.
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Challenges: carbon-neutral fuel
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas primarily generated through human activities like fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. It traps heat, causing climate change by elevating ocean and atmospheric temperatures. In 2023, atmospheric CO₂ concentrations surpassed 420 parts per million (ppm), emphasizing the need for carbon capture solutions and sustainable energy.
Carbon capture technologies like Direct Air Capture (DAC) can capture and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. DAC systems typically use either solid sorbents or liquid solvents to capture CO₂ through a three-step process:
- Drawing in ambient air,
- Binding CO₂ to the capture agents, and
- Separating the concentrated CO₂ for storage or utilization.
This technology can be deployed anywhere with access to low-carbon energy and CO₂ storage infrastructure.
The captured CO₂ can be combined with clean hydrogen (H₂) to produce synthetic hydrocarbons, also called carbon-neutral fuels, e-fuels, or synthetic fuels. These synthetic fuels can serve as drop-in replacements for existing fossil fuels, requiring no modifications to current engines or infrastructure. Importantly, when burned, e-fuels release only as much CO₂ as was captured during their production, making them potentially carbon neutral over their lifecycle.
Oxylus Energy Technology
CO₂ electrolysis is a promising technology for converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, such as carbon monoxide (CO), formic acid (HCOOH), methanol, and other hydrocarbons, without relying on cost-effective green hydrogen ($3-8 per kg) feedstock.
The CO₂ electrolysis process employs an electrochemical cell akin to a water electrolysis cell. This cell comprises a cathode, an anode, a porous gas diffusion layer, an alkaline electrolyte, and a membrane, as illustrated in the diagram below.
Catalysts are essential for both electrodes to facilitate their respective reactions. The electrolyte circulates through the anode and cathode chambers, enabling ion movement between electrodes and maintaining charge balance during the process. While the membrane electrically isolates the electrodes, it remains permeable to hydroxide ions (OH⁻), allowing their transport from cathode to anode.
At the cathode, CO₂ undergoes reduction to form various products such as carbon monoxide (CO), formic acid, methanol, or hydrocarbons. This process is enhanced by a catalyst that improves reaction rate and selectivity. Cathode catalysts may include metals like silver or transition metal complexes such as cobalt phthalocyanine.
The anode facilitates the oxidation of hydroxide ions in the alkaline electrolyte, producing oxygen gas (O₂). Anode catalysts typically comprise materials like iridium or nickel, chosen for their stability and efficiency in oxygen evolution reactions.
Oxylus Energy has made a significant breakthrough in the sustainable fuel industry with their CO₂ electrolysis technology. Their innovative approach utilizes a cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst that selectively catalyzes the conversion of CO₂ to substantial amounts of methanol under standard room temperature and pressure conditions. This development has the potential to dramatically reduce production costs of green methanol, marking a major advancement in sustainable fuel production.
How Oxylus Energy converts CO₂ into methanol
The diagram below depicts Oxylus Energy’s CO₂ conversion system, which captures CO₂ from industrial emission sources and converts CO₂ into methanol through the electrolysis technology without relying on green hydrogen.