Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2ER) is an emerging technology with the potential to limit the use of fossil-based feedstocks in the petrochemical industry by converting CO2 and renewable electricity into useful products such as syngas. Its successful deployment will depend not only on the technology's performance but also on its integration into the supply chain. In this work, a facility location model is used to gain insights regarding the capacity of CO2ER plants that produce syngas and the implications for the central/decentral placement of these CO2-based syngas plants. Different optimal configurations are examined in the model by changing the syngas transport costs. In this exploratory case, the results indicate that centralization is only an option when the syngas and CO2 transport costs are similar. When syngas transport is more expensive, decentralizing CO2-based syngas plants in the supply chain appears more feasible.

The storage of renewable electricity in chemical bonds is a compelling technological option that combines flexibility with the synthesis of high energy-dense fuels and chemicals and may use CO2 as raw material. The electrochemical conversion of CO2 is not yet a mature technology. Both fields, electrochemical conversion and carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU), have their own trade-offs; CO2 electrochemical reduction (CO2ER) environmental and economic performance is highly context-dependent. The successful deployment of CO2 electrochemical conversion will depend not only on the further development and scaling of the technology but also on finding appropriate combinations of technologies, business models, and socioeconomic strategies. The current project aims to create critical knowledge on the sustainable implementation of CO2 electrochemical devices for a variety of contexts. The research approach presented in the current work will develop a multidisciplinary framework to assess the contributions and trade-offs of CO2 electrochemical systems, including centralised and decentralised configurations, which are evaluated under realistic conditions. This is a crucial step in understanding the role and contribution of CO2ER within the different CO2 mitigation options in place in the upcoming years. To achieve the project’s goal, we propose a multidisciplinary methodology that includes process systems engineering (PSE) and operations research (OR) tools, and humanistic and social sciences methodologies. Modelling and optimisation techniques, value-sensitive design, and identification of government and market-based governance interventions will help identifying potential areas of improvement and bottlenecks to successfully bring CO2ER to the market. The assessment will be performed at several levels: unit (reaction pathways), process (scheduling and operation, plant layout optimisation), supply chain (optimisation under deterministic and stochastic conditions), and system (social, governance and markets perspectives) of CO2ER. The project results will (i) propose optimal CO2ER-based plants and (ii) supply chains under different contexts; (iii) translate stakeholders’ sustainability value into design requirements for CO2ER; (iv) propose a list of government interventions and market mechanisms that will allow CO2ER market penetration, and (v) identify, quantify and mitigate the influence of the most relevant sources of uncertainty.