Grant: Alliance Grants
McGill University
$500,000.00
CO2 reduction, H2 production, and biomass upgrading through one single electrochemical system: from bench to commercialization
FY 2023-24
Summary
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising solution to convert CO2 into value-added products and curb the global warming. Electrochemical production and utilization of green hydrogen from water is another strategy that Canada is pursuing to replace fossil fuels. These approaches are of particular interest as they enable the urgently needed storage of intermittent renewable energy while accelerating a net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Much effort has been devoted to advance the prospects of producing different chemical feedstocks from CO2RR and to improve the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nevertheless, neither CO2RR technology is yet to be transferred from lab benches to the commercialization stage, nor HER is economically viable relative to fossil fuel-based H2 production processes; mostly because of low energy efficiency. H2, in conventional electrolyzers, is produced at cathode (a competing reaction for the CO2RR) and coupled with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at anode. The OER itself does not add valuable products. In this project, however, we follow a novel approach to produce H2 at anode from biowastes electro-oxidation, via aldehydes conversion into valuable acids, while it is coupled with the CO2RR at cathode. Biowaste oxidation is easier than the OER, thus, the energy efficiency of the unified electrochemical system to reduce CO2, produce H2, and upgrade biowastes, will considerably improve. In collaboration with industrial and governmental partners and decision makers (ElectroCarbon, CERT, NRCan), we adopt a multifaceted technology transfer approach to bring this novel idea from bench to commercialization. This collaborative team will enable us to scale-up the technology, perform economic evaluation, assess the life cycle and model GHG emissions, and consider business development. Our scientific team chosen from several key institutions across Canada will bring a synergistic variety of expertise to advance the knowledge, improve the performance of the electrochemical system, and translate the results to an economically competitive system.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Quebec, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
577240-2022
Name nom
Seifitokaldani, Ali A
Department département
Chemical Engineering
Organization id
61
Institution établissement
McGill University
Province en
Québec
Province fr
Québec
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2023
Competition year année de concours
2022
Award amount
500000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
305
Area of application group en
Energy resources
Area of application group fr
Ressources d'énergie
Area of application en
Energy storage and conversion
Area of application fr
Stockage et transformation de l'énergie
Research subject code
1800
Research subject group en
Chemical engineering
Research subject group fr
Chemical engineering
Research subject en
Génie chimique
Research subject fr
Génie chimique
Application title
CO2 reduction, H2 production, and biomass upgrading through one single electrochemical system: from bench to commercialization
Keyword
Biowastes upgrading; CO2 Electroreduction; Electrocatalysis; H2 Production; Life Cycle Assessment; Materials Characterization; Materials Synthesis; Reaction Mechanism; Scaled up system; Techno-economic analysis
Application summary
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising solution to convert CO2 into value-added products and curb the global warming. Electrochemical production and utilization of green hydrogen from water is another strategy that Canada is pursuing to replace fossil fuels. These approaches are of particular interest as they enable the urgently needed storage of intermittent renewable energy while accelerating a net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Much effort has been devoted to advance the prospects of producing different chemical feedstocks from CO2RR and to improve the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nevertheless, neither CO2RR technology is yet to be transferred from lab benches to the commercialization stage, nor HER is economically viable relative to fossil fuel-based H2 production processes; mostly because of low energy efficiency. H2, in conventional electrolyzers, is produced at cathode (a competing reaction for the CO2RR) and coupled with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at anode. The OER itself does not add valuable products. In this project, however, we follow a novel approach to produce H2 at anode from biowastes electro-oxidation, via aldehydes conversion into valuable acids, while it is coupled with the CO2RR at cathode. Biowaste oxidation is easier than the OER, thus, the energy efficiency of the unified electrochemical system to reduce CO2, produce H2, and upgrade biowastes, will considerably improve. In collaboration with industrial and governmental partners and decision makers (ElectroCarbon, CERT, NRCan), we adopt a multifaceted technology transfer approach to bring this novel idea from bench to commercialization. This collaborative team will enable us to scale-up the technology, perform economic evaluation, assess the life cycle and model GHG emissions, and consider business development. Our scientific team chosen from several key institutions across Canada will bring a synergistic variety of expertise to advance the knowledge, improve the performance of the electrochemical system, and translate the results to an economically competitive system.
