Enzymatic CO2 Capture in a Rotating Packed Bed and Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Useful Products

REUSE proposes the development of an advanced CO2 capture and utilization concept where a Rotating Packed Bed (RPB) is used that employs immobilized Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) in combination with advanced solvents, while the captured CO2 is transformed into carbon monoxide (CO) or formic acid (FA) in a CO2 reduction (CO2R) cell.

To deliver high-quality flue gas to the RPB-CO2R system, the team will consider several in-situ strategies of particles abatement and process optimization (Design of Experiments coupled with Propagation of Error) combined with the synergetic effect of using biomass blends.

Then, the process employs a RPB where the used enzyme is immobilized in cellulosic fibers on the packing material of the RPB, while a solvent is used to capture and transfer the CO2 into a CO2R cell.

The immobilized CA allows the enhancement of absorption kinetics while avoiding the need for an unregulated, free-flowing suspension of CA and solvent.

The CO2R cell employs novel electrocatalysts (electrodeposition and plasma methods) to produce FA and CO, which are chosen here as they necessitate a 2e- transfer and are the only CO2R products that can compete with conventional production processes.

REUSE will prove its enhanced performance under relevant operating conditions by testing: a) an 80 kWth pilot-scale fluidized bed unit enabling co-gasification/combustion runs (as needed) at multiple operating conditions; b) an RPB absorber with fiber-immobilized CA; and c) a CO2R cell with advanced catalysts.

After validation of the single units, a pilot-scale fluidized bed, combustion unit will be integrated with the RPB absorber and CO2R cell for integrated system validation in a TRL 5 pilot plant that will enable continuous operation.

REUSE strategy includes life cycle and techno-economic assessments as well as socio-economic aspects including SDGs and impacts when applying such solutions in regions in transition from fossil fuels.