MIT and Harvard develop new process to convert CO2 into stable fuel

• 1 year, 4 months ago (2023-10-31)
• David Flin

Distribution 132 North America 1040 Storage 45

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Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have developed an efficient process to convert carbon dioxide into formate, a stable material that can be used as a fuel for generating electricity in fuel cells. The process has high carbon efficiency and produces a non-toxic, non-flammable, and easily stored fuel.

The process converts CO2 into liquid metal bicarbonate, which is the electrochemically converted in liquid potassium or sodium formate in an electrolyser. This is then dried into a solid powder that is stable and can be stored in ordinary steel tanks for long periods. This process achieves a conversion rate of over 90 per cent without the need for heating. It utilises low-carbon electricity sources such as nuclear or renewable.

The researchers said that the scalability of this process makes it suitable for various applications, from individual homes to industrial or grid-scale systems.