AGC, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and other high-tech materials, has agreed to a joint research contract with Canada-based climate tech startup company, CERT Systems to conduct research on the production of ethylene using CO2 as a raw material through electrolysis technology. In this joint research, the AGC Group will begin examining the introduction of CCU technology in order to replace ethylene, which is used as a raw material for products such as polyvinyl chloride and fluoropolymer resin, with ethylene derived from CO2.

As an innovative technology for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) technology has been attracting attention in recent years. Three main reaction methods for producing CO2-derived ethylene are being considered: hydrogen-based reactions, electrolysis reactions, and photosynthesis-based reactions. In particular, the electrolysis method, which is the subject of this study, is attracting a great deal of attention worldwide due to the high convenience of its raw materials, which are renewable energy-derived electricity and water, in addition to CO2.

In this joint research, CERT and the AGC Group will leverage the knowledge gained from CERT’s successful pilot demonstration experiment in 2020, which was the world’s first to produce ethylene from industrial emissions using CO2 electrolysis technology, and will conduct research towards the practical application of CO2 electrolysis plants. The AGC Group plans to work with its manufacturing bases to verify the process and assess the feasibility of this technology.

In its medium-term management plan, AGC plus-2026, the AGC Group has set “promotion of sustainability management” as one of its main strategies, and has set a target of achieving “carbon net zero3” by 2050. Through this joint research, the AGC Group aims to achieve CCU technology using CO2 electrolysis.