Flue Gas to Methanol – Electrocatalytic Technology for Integrating CO2 into the Circular Economy
Why it matters? Heavy industry is one of the toughest sectors to decarbonize, responsible for over 30% of global CO₂ emissions. Current solutions like carbon capture are often too costly or inefficient for widespread adoption. To meet climate targets while maintaining industrial competitiveness, we need scalable, economically viable technologies that transform emissions into valuable products.
Innovative solutions: This project addresses the need through CarbGen AB’s innovative electrochemical process, converting industrial flue gas CO₂ into high-purity e-methanol, without the need for separate hydrogen production, and utilizes water as the proton source. Unlike traditional methods, this approach is energy-efficient, and can be directly connected to existing emission sources.
Project Goal: Led by CarbGen AB with RISE, Copper Lavender, and Chalmers Industriteknik, the goal is to scale the system from lab success (TRL 4) to industrial readiness (TRL 7). Stage 2 will pilot a 5L and plan for a 500L system to validate performance, cost, and environmental impact under real-world conditions, paving the way for commercial deployment and a new model for industrial decarbonization.
Vision: This project helps Swedish industry stay competitive while positioning Sweden as a leader in sustainable tech, supporting the EU Green Deal and UN SDGs by providing scalable CO₂-to-e-methanol technology for a carbon-neutral future.