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Production chemicals from carbon

Sunday, 16. March 2014 - 17:52

Liquid Light unveiled its new process for the production of major chemicals from carbon dioxide (CO2), showcasing its demonstration-scale ‘reaction cell’ and confirming the potential for cost-advantaged process economics. Because carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas — is low-cost and readily available worldwide, Liquid Light’s customers can profit by producing high-value chemicals from CO2 ‘waste’; reduce their dependence on oil; and potentially reduce their carbon footprint.

Liquid Light’s first process is for the production of ethylene glycol (MEG), with a $27 billion annual market, which is used to make a wide range of consumer products such as plastic bottles, antifreeze and polyester clothing. Liquid Light’s technology can be used to produce more than 60 chemicals with large existing markets, including propylene, isopropanol, methyl-methacrylate and acetic acid.

Making electrocatalytics practical for harnessing carbon dioxide as an alternative feedstock

Liquid Light’s core technology is centered on low-energy catalytic electrochemistry to convert CO2 to chemicals, combined with hydrogenation and purification operations. By adjusting the design of their catalyst, Liquid Light can produce a range of commercially important multi-carbon chemicals. Additionally, by using ‘co-feedstocks’ along with CO2, a plant built with Liquid Light’s technology may produce multiple products simultaneously.

Liquid LightLiquid Light’s electrocatalytic ‘reaction cell’ is a key part of the company’s new process to produce major chemicals, like ethylene glycol, from widely available, inexpensive carbon dioxide. Production plants would combine numerous cells, as done today for other mainstream chemicals.
Liquid Light’s advances that enable commercialization include the development of long-lasting catalyst components; the ability to run continuously for extended times; and major progress in energy efficiency.

Promising economics from low-cost feedstock and proven-efficient process

Results to date highlight promising economics in three key dimensions:

Process performance validated at lab scale: In test runs, Liquid Light has met the targets needed for cost-advantaged production in metrics including energy needed per unit of output; rate of production; yield; and stability/longevity of cell components.
Large savings in feedstock costs: Liquid Light’s process requires $125 or less of CO2 to make a ton of MEG. Other processes require an estimated $617 to $1,113 of feedstocks derived from oil, natural gas or corn. These differences are especially significant as MEG sells for $700 to $1,400 per metric ton.
High project value for technology licensees: Current estimates show that a 400kT per year Liquid Light MEG plant would offer more than $250 million in added project value as compared to a plant built using the best currently available process technology. A 625kTa plant would have a 15 year net present value of over $850 million to a licensee.

Liquid Light’s process: Reduction in carbon footprint for chemical production

Liquid Light’s process also reduces the overall carbon footprint for chemical production compared to conventional methods, when powered with electricity produced from natural gas, nuclear, advanced coal and renewable sources. Further, Liquid Light’s process can sequester carbon – meaning it is a net reducer of carbon in the environment – when using energy sources like solar, hydro, wind or nuclear power. To further demonstrate this potential benefit, the company also showed the process can be powered by intermittently-available renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The result is that chemicals can be made directly from renewable energy sources and CO2.

“We’re delighted to be introducing a new and valuable alternative for the mainstream chemical industry,” said Kyle Teamey, CEO of Liquid Light. “Liquid Light’s technology offers a new and cost-effective way to make everyday products from plain old carbon dioxide. This is a great way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels while we simultaneously consume an environmental pollutant.”

Source: 
llchemical.com
Tags: 
carbon
Liquid Light
production chemicals