The Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate/Formic Acid: Engineering and Economic Feasibility

The engineering and economic feasibility of large-scale electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formate salts and formic acid is the focus of this Full Paper. In our study we investigated the long-term performance of tin and other proprietary catalysts in the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate/formic acid at a gas/solid/ liquid interface, using a flow-through reactor. The overall economics and energy consumption of the process are evaluated through a value chain analysis. The sensitivity of the net present value of the process to various process parameters is examined.