Can We Decarbonise Methanol Production by Direct Electrochemical CO2 Reduction?

Abstract

Methanol is one of the most important chemical feedstocks, with an increase in global demand of more than 20 million tonnes since 2017. The current production of methanol is primarily from fossil fuel derived synthetic gas (syngas), producing up to 2.97 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of methanol. The direct electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR), i. e. systems in which CO2 is reduced to methanol at the cathode coupled to the oxygen evolution at the anode, is one of the most attractive approaches for decarbonising methanol production, using renewable energy sources as the power source. In this review, we critically discuss the progress and challenges associated with eCO2RR to methanol, with the aim of addressing the question of whether this approach can provide a feasible route to the decarbonisation of this key chemical commodity.