Elcogen has been a partner in ECOLEFINS, an EU/UK-funded research project exploring new ways to produce important chemicals using electricity, CO₂ and water instead of relying on fossil resources.
As part of the project, Arqam Zaheer, R&D Engineer from our Stack Development Team, and Minna Toivola, Elcogen’s Project Coordinator, have been busy keeping things moving from our side. Our work has included designing new stack geometry, testing of proton-conducting materials and cells, assembling the proton-conducting cells into stacks, and, in the final phase, we will test the performance of these stacks together with project partners.
Light olefins such as ethylene and propylene are among the world’s highest-volume chemicals. They are essential building blocks for countless everyday products, including plastics, packaging, textiles and many other materials.
Today, their production is heavily dependent on fossil resources and generates significant CO₂ emissions. ECOLEFINS set out to investigate an alternative: using renewable electricity, green hydrogen and captured CO₂ to produce these valuable chemicals. The potential impact is significant.
If technologies like those being developed by ECOLEFINS can be successfully scaled, they could help:
- Reduce the chemical industry’s dependence on oil and other fossil resources.
- Turn captured CO₂ into a useful raw material rather than an emission.
- Enable greater use of renewable electricity in chemical production.
- Contribute to the production of lower-carbon chemicals and fuels.
- Open up new opportunities for solid oxide and electrochemical technologies.
Beyond light olefins, the underlying technology could potentially be relevant to other major chemical processes, including the production of ammonia, methanol and other important chemicals. This makes the development of co-ionic and proton-conducting solid oxide technologies an area with potentially broad industrial relevance.
The project team are now conducting a stakeholder survey to understand how different people and organisations view the opportunities, challenges and potential impact of electrifying chemical production.
You don’t need to be a technical expert to take part. The survey is intended to capture a broad range of perspectives, and there are no right or wrong answers! Your personal judgement and perspective are what matter. The questionnaire takes approximately five minutes to complete.
By taking a few minutes to participate, you can help us, the ECOLEFINS team, understand how stakeholders perceive this potential shift in the chemical industry and what it could mean for the technologies, markets and industries involved. Any questions, please contact Minna Toivola, Project Co-Ordinator for ECOLEFINS.
Text: Laura Quinton
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