Executive Summary

The EU-funded research project "REACT" develops an electrochemical process for converting industrial CO₂ emissions into ethylene. Swiss research institute Empa is participating as a partner. The 48-month project runs from May 2026 to April 2030 and is coordinated by SINTEF (Norway). The consortium comprises 13 partners from 10 countries. The goal is to develop a functional electrolyzer that converts previously unavoidable emissions into valuable raw material for chemicals.

People

Topics

  • Circular Economy & CO₂ Recycling
  • Electrochemical Processes
  • Sustainable Chemical Industry
  • Horizon Europe Research Funding

Clarus Lead

Global ethylene production of over 300 million tons per year currently causes approximately 260 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually – a sector where emission reductions have been technically difficult to implement. The REACT project addresses this decarbonization gap through an impurity-tolerant tandem process that converts low-purity industrial CO₂ exhaust gases directly into chemical products, eliminating the need for costly pre-treatment. This technology could make the European chemical industry strategically more independent and accelerate the transition to climate-neutral production.

Detailed Summary

Ethylene is a platform chemical with broad applications: from plastics to pharmaceuticals to food ripening. Currently, over 95% of ethylene is produced through steam cracking of fossil feedstocks. The REACT process uses renewable energy and an innovative electrochemical tandem process to recycle emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors – steel, cement, and chemicals – directly into valuable raw material.

Battaglia's team at Empa investigates how impurities in industrial CO₂ exhaust gases affect catalyst effectiveness and lifespan. The research group uses an automated parallel reactor that conducts up to ten experiments simultaneously. The project integrates advanced materials, monitoring systems, and digital twin technologies to improve efficiency, scalability, and economic feasibility.

Findings from REACT are also intended to advance other CO₂ conversion technologies, such as the production of synthetic fuels. The project is part of the Empa initiative "Mining the Atmosphere," which seeks ways to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and convert them into useful products.

Key Statements

  • REACT develops an electrochemical process for direct conversion of industrial CO₂ emissions into ethylene without costly pre-treatment
  • The project reduces dependencies of the European chemical industry and contributes to decarbonizing an emissions-intensive sector
  • The technology is transferable to other CO₂ utilization applications and supports the transition to climate-neutral chemical production

Critical Questions

  1. Catalyst Longevity: How long does the catalyst remain functional under real industrial conditions with variable impurities, and which replacement cycles are economically viable?

  2. Scalability and Costs: What investments are required to scale up the laboratory prototype to an industrial production facility, and at what ethylene volume does the process become cost-competitive with steam cracking?

  3. Power Source and CO₂ Balance: Will the required renewable electricity be available in the participating countries, and how is overall climate efficiency (well-to-gate) measured?

  4. Market Acceptance and Regulation: Are there already purchase agreements with polymer manufacturer consortium members, and what regulatory incentives (carbon pricing, quotas) are needed to achieve market penetration?

  5. By-products and Residues: What other chemical products are generated in the tandem process, and how are these utilized or disposed of?

Sources

Primary Source: Switzerland-EU Package (Bilateral III) – EU Project REACT: CO₂ Conversion – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/8qKvGzEW1iKpEGVH-6Bol

Supplementary Sources:

  1. Empa Press Release – www.empa.ch/web/s604/eu-projekt-react-co2-konversion
  2. Horizon Europe Project Database – REACT (Renewable Electrochemical Advanced Conversion of CO₂ to Target products)

Verification Status: ✓ 09.07.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 09.07.2026