CO2Volt: High efficiency carbon dioxide electrolysis for sustainable chemicals manufacture

The innovate partnerships competition offers a route for CO2Volt to be generated as a dynamic spin-out from the University of Liverpool, commercialising a transformational carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolyser technology, developed through UKRI-EPSRC--funded research. Our breakthrough process transforms CO2 - a major contributor to climate change - into valuable syngas using water and renewable electricity. The primary product is carbon monoxide, with a small amount of hydrogen, while pure oxygen is the only byproduct. This syngas serves as a direct, sustainable, alternative to fossil-derived syngas (current market of over 200k Nm3/hr) paving the way for green chemical production with applications ranging from sustainable aviation fuels through to household goods such as soaps made with recycled carbon. By converting what is typically viewed as waste into a critical resource, CO2Volt is not only addressing environmental challenges, providing an important pathway to Net-Zero, but also unlocking new economic opportunities.

A key step in our development strategy is the demonstration of our technology at pilot scale, processing CO2 in the kilogram-per-day range. This Innovate UK -Investor project will enable development of a pilot plant that will provide crucial insights into process economics, clearly highlighting the capital and operational cost benefits of our system, enabling the company to move forward rapidly.