CO₂ Electrolysis Technologies: Bridging the Gap toward Scale-up and Commercialization

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon dioxide electroreduction (CO2E) converts CO2 into valuable carbon-based products.
• CO2E is nearing commercialization, with significant industrial and startup investments.
• Scaling up CO2E technologies presents unique implementation challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze global efforts in scaling up CO2E technologies.
• To identify key bottlenecks hindering the transition from laboratory research to industrial application.
• To propose methods for accelerating the development and commercialization of CO2E.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs) between laboratory and industrial settings.
• Development of a stepwise technoeconomic analysis (TEA) framework using industrial data.
• Exploitation of academic and industrial community interactions.

Main Results:

• Lack of systems-oriented standardization and durability are identified as primary obstacles.
• A gap exists between laboratory performance and industrial viability.
• A framework and protocols are proposed to bridge the lab-to-market gap.

Conclusions:

• Standardization and durability are critical for advancing CO2E.
• A structured TEA framework and collaborative efforts are essential for accelerating CO2E scale-up.
• Protocols inspired by electrolysis and fuel cell technologies can enhance catalyst development and technology readiness.