We are pleased to announce a new publication from our CAPTUS partners University of Cantabria and Apria, recently published in ChemSusChem:
“Techno-Economic Analysis of a Three-Compartment CO₂ Electrolyzer for Formic Acid Production.“
This study explores the potential of electrochemical CO₂ reduction as a sustainable pathway to convert renewable electricity into valuable chemicals, focusing on formic acid as a promising energy carrier. The authors present a comprehensive techno-economic analysis comparing two- and three-compartment electrolyzer configurations. Their results highlight that three-compartment systems can achieve superior performance, particularly at high product concentrations, provided that selectivity remains high.
Importantly, the work shows that operating conditions and system design strongly influence economic feasibility. The integration of low-cost renewable hydrogen and optimized cell configurations could enable production costs below $0.42 per kilogram of formic acid, making this approach highly attractive for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries such as cement, steel, and ammonia production.
We warmly congratulate and thank the authors for this valuable contribution to advancing CO₂ utilization technologies and supporting the transition toward a more sustainable chemical industry.
Read the full publication here.