Emissions-free bio-ethanol production through an add-on electrochemical CO2-to-Ethanol carbon utilization technology

The bioethanol production capacity in the United States is 52 million metric tons per year, generating 32.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year only from fermentation. This carbon dioxide source is 99.9% pure and can be readily utilized, avoiding significant greenhouse gas emissions. This work will address the demonstration of a process that converts CO2 from bioethanol production into up to 32% more ethanol using an electrochemical process that only requires electricity and water as additional inputs. Statement of how the problem is addressed: RenewCO2 and Rutgers University are partnering to develop a process powered by renewable electricity that converts CO2 to ethanol in a single step. The core technology relies on a catalyst that operates at room temperature and ambient pressure, operating at high energy efficiency. Therefore, this process can become cost-competitive at scale and consume 1.9 tons of CO2 per ton of ethanol produced. Phase 1 description: RutgersCO2 has shown ethanol formation in a single step from CO2 and water. In Phase I, Rutgers will develop a lab-scale demonstration of the process at commercially relevant rates and selectivity by tuning the catalytic system. RenewCO2 will address the process engineering of the pilot and provide techno-economic and process life-cycle analysis. In Phase 2, the team will build a working electrochemical stack and a pilot-scale process unit for deployment at a partner ethanol plant. Commercial applications and other benefits: The proposed process will mitigate CO2 emissions from biofuel production, increase ethanol production capacity without increasing pressure on agricultural land use, and allow bioethanol plants to leverage carbon tax incentives, bringing the US one step closer to being Net-Zero. This process can mitigate up to 1.3 gigatons of CO2e/year by 2050.