Shariful Nabil
Ph.D Student
University of Calgary
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies
GHG Emissions (Scope 1&2) Abatement (CO2, Methane) - Detection; CO2 Capture; CCUS; DAC; Carbon Products
Forum 20 | Technical Programme Hall 4
28
April
10:00
11:30
UTC+3
Reducing Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions from industrial point sources is a critical component of achieving net-zero targets. However, many carbon utilization technologies rely on purified CO₂ streams, which are costly and energy-intensive to obtain due to requirements for capture, compression, and purification. This work presents a novel electrochemical system that integrates CO₂ capture and conversion into a single step, enabling the direct use of low-purity CO₂ streams (~10% concentration), such as those found in industrial flue gases, for the production of ethylene—a widely used platform chemical in the manufacture of polymers and fuels.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
