Technology for Converting CO2 to High-Value Chemical Substances, Transferred to Private Sector 'Carbon Neutral Scale-Up'

[Financial News] The original technology of a government-funded research institute that converts carbon dioxide into high-value chemical substances has been transferred to the private sector and is being utilized for the development of carbon-neutral technology.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 13th that it has successfully transferred the 'electricity-utilizing carbon dioxide conversion technology (10kg/day level)' secured through the 'Carbon to X R&D Project for Useful Substance Production' to LG Chem, and has induced the scaling up of the technology to secure successful cases of technology transfer to companies, providing an important opportunity to convert related industries into carbon-neutral industries through CCU in the future.
The electrochemical carbon dioxide conversion technology is a technology that converts carbon dioxide, which causes global warming, into high-value chemical substances such as ethylene, ethanol, and formic acid using electricity. When linked with renewable energy, it can produce chemical products without carbon emissions, making it a core technology for realizing carbon neutrality and is evaluated as having the potential to replace existing petrochemical processes.
Based on the reactor design and operation technology secured through the R&D project, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) successfully transferred the technology to LG Chem (worth 11.7 billion won). The research team at LG Chem, which received the technology transfer, is promoting the industrialization of the technology by conducting the world's largest demonstration project (200kg/day) for converting carbon dioxide into high-value chemical substances (such as ethylene, ethanol, and formic acid) at Boryeong, Chungnam, operated by Korea Midland Power. It is expected to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of domestic carbon-neutral technology along with the advancement of carbon dioxide utilization technology in the future.
In particular, ethanol, one of the high-value chemical substances produced through this project, relies on more than 99% of imports, and it is expected that substituting imports through this technology will significantly contribute to enhancing industrial competitiveness.
Jeong Taek-ryeol, Director of Public Convergence Research Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “This research is a good example of successfully transferring original technology developed by government-funded research institutes to the private sector for achieving carbon neutrality, and establishing an industrialization foundation through large-scale demonstrations in the private sector,” and added, “We will continue to actively support the industry-academia-research cooperation system to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.”

jiany@fnnews.com Yeon Ji-an Reporter