Using high energy density and selective activation, the plasma process has been found to be ideal for CO 2 conversion, operating at ambient temperatures and powered by renewable electricity, offering a sustainable and scalable solution for industrial decarbonisation. The plasma reactor design developed by D-CRBN can be switched on and off rapidly, allowing the use of intermittent power sources, typical of renewable energy. Containerised plug-and-play modular units are available for conversion capacities of up to 10 KTPA of CO2 into CO, which can be mixed with green H 2 in the desired ratio for the production of syngas suitable for methanol or FT synthesis. With pilot-scale test results proving to be positive, the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of this technology is currently assessed as 5/6, steadily moving towards the implementation of an industrial-scale demo plant by Q1 2027, when they expect to reach TRL 7/8 – the last major milestone before full industrial-scale rollout. The Capex is purported to be 50% and Opex 30% lower than the reverse water-gas shift (rWGS) option, driven by high energy efficiency and an increased conversion rate. However, compared to the integrated 3-in-1 Plasma Boudouard Reactor process for syngas production, this process has a higher Opex due to the requirement of green H 2 , although Capex could be significantly lower, necessitating a comprehensive techno-commercial evaluation of both options to arrive at the most cost-effective and technically robust solution. Direct hydrogenation of CO 2 to long-chain hydrocarbons OXCCU’s direct hydrogenation process of CO 2 to long-chain deoxygenated hydrocarbons (syncrude) in a single step is a fairly new area of research.3 The vast majority of FT research over the last 100 years has focused on syngas (CO + H2) to fuels rather than using CO2 and H 2. Hence, the main focus of Power-to-Liquid (PtL) processes to date has been the two-step approach, where CO 2 is first converted to CO via the rWGS reaction, and then combined with H 2 to get to syngas, which can be used with conventional FT catalysts. The challenge is that, firstly, the rWGS step is expensive from both Capex and Opex
Air/CO enriched with O
CO + CO
Air/CO
SOEC electrolysis + ÷
CO
Gas separation
CO product
CO (depleted) + CO
Figure 1 eCOs installation
bicarbonate, have been utilised for high- and low-temperature co-electrolysis by different technology providers, SOEC is the only currently known CO 2 electrolysis technology suitable for efficient CO2 -to-CO conversion. Since this emerging technology of CO 2 electrolysis is not widely employed or researched, for the purpose of this article, it would suffice to highlight that Topsoe’s proprietary CO 2 electrolysis process (eCOs) enables safe, efficient, and reliable on-site production of CO directly from captured or biogenic CO 2 using renewable power, as depicted in Figure 1 .1 “ Plasma conversion operates effectively even with diluted CO2 streams containing up to 50% N 2 , enabling integration with diverse waste streams and capture processes ” The product CO stream is mixed with green H 2 in the desired ratio to produce low-CI syngas. Built on a scalable, modular design, engineered eCOs modules can meet the needs of almost any facility that uses CO or CO + H 2 (syngas) in the downstream processes, regardless of industry or size, especially when decarbonisation is high on the agenda. Plasma CO 2 conversion This proprietary plasma-based process offered by start-up D-CRBN efficiently converts CO 2 into valuable CO by breaking the bond between carbon and oxygen (O2) without producing byproducts like carbon black.2 Plasma conversion operates effectively even with diluted CO 2 streams containing up to 50% N 2 , enabling integration with diverse waste streams and capture processes.
Refining India
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