The private company based in the US and Central Europe today said its patented stacked CO2 electrolyser technology, called L.E.A.F.™ (Layered Electrochemical Adaptable Flow), had been published in the ACS Energy Letters.
The paper details how ThalesNano Energy, and its academic partner the University of Szeged, have developed a three-layer electrolyser stack that offers enhanced conversion efficiency of CO2 and scalable synthesis of syngas and hydrocarbons, compared to the market’s current standard single stack approach.
In a joint statement, CEO Richard Jones, Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Csaba Janáky and President Dr. Ferenc Darvas said, “The development of this patented electrolyser stack is a huge milestone in CO2 utilisation technology because it is the first to publicly demonstrate that the technology can be scaled to meet the rising carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry. A problem that affects us all.
“Using our L.E.A.F. technology in combination with renewable energy, we can help reduce both rising industrial waste CO2 levels at the source and reliance on fossil fuels to generate chemicals.”
“Eventually we believe that this technology can help generate profit from a waste product that is currently dumped into the air or buried under ground at cost. A win-win situation for everyone.”
Why is this technology important?
ThalesNano Energy said stacked cell designs are ubiquitous in both fuel cell and water electrolysis industries. Stacked cells make the processes scalable and more efficient: taking the technology from a lab concept to the real world.
With its L.E.A.F. cell technology, ThalesNano Energy is doing the same with electrochemical CO2 reduction. The company’s technology not only utilises a carefully engineered stack design to increase scale, but also maximises the flow of CO2 gas to achieve the best conversion and efficiency.
After receiving an investment of more than €2m, by the end of 2020 one of ThalesNano Energy’s electrolysers will be able to convert 100 tonnes of CO2 per year.