Converting carbon dioxide to chemicals report

Background

The workshop was organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry Environment, Sustainability and Energy Forum.  It aimed to explore the chemical science behind the conversion of CO2 into chemicals; to determine where the UK is in terms of academic expertise in this field and to indicate research priorities for the UK in the future.    This workshop was attended by scientists and engineers from different backgrounds in both academia and industry.  This report summarises the presentations and the discussion during the breakout sessions.  Copies of the presentations are available from the RSC website.

Executive Summary

Carbon dioxide can be converted into chemicals, fuels and polymers and there are technologies available today to achieve this.   In context, the entire output of the chemicals industry (excluding fuels) is equivalent on a carbon basis to around 1-2% of the total annual anthropogenic carbon emissions (6Gt).  Therefore, chemicals based on CO2 could contribute to reducing carbon emissions but not at a significant level; the synthesis of fuels (for example via Fischer-Tropsch chemistry) could substantially increase carbon emission reduction.  CO2 as a building block in long-lived polymers can be viewed as a mechanism to sequester carbon in the long-term. There are a number of potential technologies that require further research and development; for example the photochemical conversion of CO2.

In the medium-term it is expected that fossil fuel power plants fitted with carbon capture and storage technologies will provide a source of relatively pure CO2.  In order to take advantage of this it is suggested that CO2-to-chemicals technologies should be applicable at relatively low CO2 pressures to avoid energy intensive pressurisation steps.  It is important that CO2 conversion technologies are developed alongside work on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies so that they can be considered in the design of pilot and full scale CCS plants.

The full life cycle analysis of technologies for converting CO2 into chemicals must be considered.  This will enable an unbiased assessment of the technology options as well as an opportunity to compare against other carbon abatement technologies.  It is also critical that an economic argument can be made to support technologies to convert CO2 to chemicals.  

Government and funding bodies should consider establishing a UK research centre with a focus on CO2 chemistry.  It is unclear whether this might be included in the remit of the recently announced energy and environmental research institute.  In addition, to reduce the time for technological breakthroughs funding mechanisms that allow researchers from outside of the EU to collaborate with UK research groups should be introduced.  There is a need to attract, train, enthuse and retain high calibre talented young people in disciplines relevant to this field.