The scientific article “Governing the Development of CO₂ Electrolysis: How Do We Give an Emerging Technology a Chance to Contribute to a Carbon-Neutral Europe?” by Delft University of Technology was published in the international peer-reviewed journal Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS). This paper investigates enablers and barriers shaping this technology within a European context by combining a technological innovation system (TIS) lens with political economy perspectives
Key Highlights:
🔵 CO₂ Electrolysis: This promising emerging technology offers a sustainable and valuable pathway for the chemical industry to produce fossil-free fuels and chemicals. While CO₂ electrolysis is advancing rapidly through R&D, regulatory support, and the promotion of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) and related technologies, challenges remain. These include factors such as availability of renewable electricity and carbon dioxide, and a policy bias towards mature technologies to meet urgent emission reduction targets are barriers to its future development.
🔵 Policy Interventions: Long-term, technology-specific policies can help establish niche markets for CO₂ electrolysis. There’s a need to move beyond the current “fit-and-conform” narrative, which focuses on cost comparisons with fossil fuel alternatives, and adopt a “stretch-and-transform” approach that envisions CO₂ electrolysis as a key player in a carbon-neutral economy.
🔵 Research & Development: Ongoing updates to techno-economic assessments (TEAs) are crucial, considering realistic assumptions about electricity and CO₂ costs, as well as incorporating pre-treatment, product separation, and waste valorisation steps.
CO₂ Value Europe contributed to this paper by providing expert policy insights, focusing on the development of CCU in the EU context. The paper emphasises existing legislative precedents, their limitations (such as those surrounding CO₂ mineralisation and CCU fuels), and the lack of incentives in the current regulatory framework. It also outlines potential mechanisms to address these gaps, particularly in the area of CCU chemicals.
Read the full article here.
