German researchers develop new electrochemical CO2 reactor

In Germany, the carbon cycle can be closed with the help of electrochemical CO2 reduction: Unavoidable emissions from concrete production or waste incineration become CO – and thus the starting point for chemicals or fuels. However, there is a hurdle lurking in the industrial application of this technology: It is not (yet) compatible with the existing infrastructure. Researchers at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Ruhr University Bochum have developed a possible solution: a new reactor that efficiently converts CO2 using pressurized CO2 and pure water.