Imagine a filter that turns industrial smoke into the raw materials for plastic bottles and car parts. Usually, this process requires the smoke to be perfectly clean, which is very expensive. This technology acts like a tough-as-nails sponge that can handle dirty CO2 streams and turn them into ethylene without needing costly cleaning first.
Ethylene production relies on fossil fuels and emits 260Mt of CO2 annually. Current CO2-to-ethylene alternatives are too expensive because they require ultra-pure CO2, which necessitates costly gas cleaning.
An impurity-tolerant tandem electrochemical process and catalyst design that converts impure industrial CO2 into ethylene mixtures for polymers and surfactants.
If you are an ethylene producer dealing with high energy demands and 260Mt of annual CO2eq emissions — this project developed an impurity-tolerant tandem electrochemical process that converts industrial CO2 into ethylene. This reduces the need for expensive pre-treatment of gas streams.
If you are a packaging company dealing with the high carbon footprint of fossil-based feedstocks — this project developed a way to create CO2-derived ethylene. This allows you to produce polyethylene packaging that is more competitively priced and sustainable.
If you are an automotive supplier dealing with strict emission regulations for plastics — this project developed a method to create automotive polymers from recycled CO2. This strengthens your carbon management value chain.
Based on available project data, the technology reduces capital intensity and energy requirements by eliminating the need for costly pre-treatment of impure CO2 streams.
The project aims to create a pathway for CO2-derived products to be competitively priced, but it is currently in the development phase from 2026 to 2030.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on catalyst design and tandem electrolyser development, which typically result in patentable hardware and process IP.
It is designed for industrial symbiosis, allowing it to plug into hard-to-abate industries by using their existing impure CO2 streams as feedstock.
The project runs from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2030, suggesting that commercial readiness will be evaluated toward the end of this period.
The consortium is highly market-oriented with a 50% industry ratio, comprising 7 industrial partners and 3 SMEs across 10 countries. This balance, led by SINTEF AS and supported by 6 research organizations and 1 university, suggests a strong focus on translating catalyst design into commercial applications for the polymer and chemical sectors.
Contact SINTEF AS regarding the tandem electrochemical process development.
Contact us to identify potential licensing opportunities for impurity-tolerant catalysts.
