Publication date: 21st July 2025
The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to value-added hydrocarbons presents a promising solution to simultaneously mitigate climate change and enable renewable energy storage. Among the various target products, methane (CH₄) is particularly attractive due to its compatibility with the existing natural gas infrastructure, including storage, distribution, and consumption. Within this context, the direct electrochemical conversion of CO₂ present in biogas into CH₄ using electricity derived from intermittent renewable sources (such as solar or wind) represents a sustainable route for biogas upgrading and the production of carbon-neutral fuels, with the added advantage of eliminating the need for energy- and cost-intensive CO₂ separation processes.
This study investigates the preliminary optimization of a membrane electrode assembly-based electrolyzer for CO₂-to-CH₄ conversion, with the goal of advancing toward scalable, industrial applications for biogas upgrading. The design and configuration of the electrolyzer were systematically optimized to enhance catalytic activity, CH₄ selectivity, and long-term operational stability. Tests were conducted under conditions relevant to industrial practice, including the use of simulated biogas with varying CO₂ content. Significant advancements were achieved through the integration of nanostructured catalysts and refined process parameters, resulting in improved methane selectivity during continuous operation, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of electrochemical upgrading as a viable route for renewable fuel production, as also witnessed by a simple techno-economic analysis conducted on the system.
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