The ready availability of renewable electrical energy means that the chemical and energy sectors will increasingly merge in the future as the redox equivalents needed for the synthesis based on CO2 as feedstock can directly be utilized in power-to-X processes.
From catalysts and electrode materials to multi-step synthesis processes
Developments on electrochemical catalysts, electrode materials and finally entire systems are taking place at the institute, as well as the coupling of these technologies with additional synthesis processes.
Power-to-X-to-Y: from CO2 to C1 intermediates to complex C compounds
In this way, complex molecular structures can be generated elegantly from the electrochemically produced C1-derivatives methanol, formic acid or formaldehyde using biotechnological processes. This power-to-X-to-Y concept, defined at the institute, has already been successfully demonstrated in the EU project Celbicon or within the ongoing Fraunhofer-internal lighthouse project ShapID.
Large scale demonstration at Fraunhofer Hydrogen Lab Leuna
The ongoing expansion of the Hydrogen Lab Leuna by the Hy2Chem scaling platform for syntheses with regenerative hydrogen and their integration into Fraunhofer CBP will also enable future technology developments in this area up to demonstration scale.