Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) have achieved a major breakthrough in renewable energy production. Their innovative technology can efficiently produce propane from carbon dioxide (CO2) and electricity generated from intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar power. This groundbreaking project has secured $3,853,707 in funding from the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) through the GREENWELLS initiative.
The project aims to showcase the process on a kilowatt scale, processing up to 4 kilograms of propane per day. This system will utilize multiple carbon dioxide electrolyzer stacks, allowing operation within 1-100% of its capacity and accommodating variable power supplies. The entire process boasts an unprecedented 97% propane selectivity.
“This is a negative-carbon process, using only captured CO2, water, and renewable electricity as inputs,” explained Dr. Mohammad Asadi, the project’s lead researcher. “We believe that when scaled up, this technology will produce renewable propane at a lower carbon intensity than any other current pathway while remaining cost-competitive with conventional propane.”
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is actively advising the project, recognizing the potential of “on-purpose” renewable propane production. This approach, unlike current methods that recover propane as a byproduct of other renewable fuels, offers a more efficient and cost-effective solution. “Of all the pathways we have identified for producing renewable propane, none have approached the 97% propane selectivity Dr. Asadi and his colleagues have demonstrated,” said Dr. Sai Satish Guda, research and development manager at PERC. “It is an extraordinarily efficient process, converting almost all the raw materials into the final product.”
The project also involves GTI Energy, providing technical support and verification, and SHV Energy, a Netherlands-based company assisting in commercializing the technology.
The GREENWELLS initiative is dedicated to developing methods for harnessing intermittent renewable energy sources to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals. The DoE emphasizes the importance of off-grid renewable energy solutions for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The IIT project is one of 14 nationwide recipients of GREENWELLS funding in 2024, receiving a total of $41 million.
This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize the propane industry, significantly reducing carbon emissions while providing a cost-effective renewable fuel source. As the project progresses, it holds promise for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
