EFFORT

The EFFORT project aims at developing the technologies that are needed to enable the large deployment of CO₂-electrolyzers on the market. In particular, it has the ambition to achieve high-performance devices able to operate under low resistance at high current densities by incorporating Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) and developing strategies for mitigating salt precipitation via innovative gas diffusion electrode (GDE) and electrolyte design. 

The long-term valorization goal of the EFFORT technology is to convert a significant amount of captured CO₂ into CO, a key molecule in our core and hard-to-abate industries, potentially saving about 7 Mt of CO₂ annually for Belgium and even up to 126 Mt at EU level. CO is a highly valuable compound for a wide range of functions across metallurgy as reductant and in all disciplines of chemistry (e.g. to produce methanol and in the hydroformylation of alkenes).

The membrane technology group (Vankelecom, KU Leuven) will develop the AEMs. The electrochemical storage and conversion group (Vereecken, IMEC) will focus on anolyte selection and development. The research group applied electrochemistry and catalysis (Breugelmans, UAntwerp) will work on the GDE and membrane-electrode assembly development.