PEM CO2 electrolyzers from an industrial perspective

In order to achieve international goals set forth for the reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels, there is significant research and policy interest in developing technologies that utilize the CO2 emitted from on-going industrial processes. Many processes within the manufacturing and transportation sectors (e.g., cement manufacturing, plastics production, and long-haul transportation) will rely on carbon-based liquid fuels and chemical precursors for the indeterminate future. CO2 electrolysis has the ability to recycle captured emissions from those industries and use them to make some of the same products (e.g., carbon monoxide, formate, and jet fuel). This is a critical pathway to decarbonizing otherwise hard-to-abate sectors. The use of PEM CO2 ;electrolysis is an attractive way to transform waste CO2 from industrial emissions into high-value products. Within this article is a discussion of the advantages and challenges of PEM CO2 electolyzers.