Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of an Electrochemical Reactor for CO 2 and Ethylene Glycol Conversion

Baszczeńska Oliwia (), Kotowicz Janusz (), Andretta Antonio, Niesporek Kamil and Brzęczek Mateusz
Additional contact information
Baszczeńska Oliwia: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Kotowicz Janusz: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Andretta Antonio: School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Hofackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
Niesporek Kamil: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Brzęczek Mateusz: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: Progressive climate change and the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere represent one of the most serious challenges facing modern energy systems. At the same time, the global overproduction of plastics, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), places a significant burden on the natural environment and waste management infrastructure. Electrochemical reactors offer a promising solution by enabling the simultaneous conversion of CO 2 and EG into valuable products such as carbon monoxide and glycolic acid, using electricity derived from renewable energy sources. Carbon monoxide can be further processed into high-energy synthetic fuels, such as propanol, while glycolic acid holds substantial importance in the pharmaceutical and plastics industries. An economic analysis was conducted to estimate the capital expenditures required for an electrochemical reactor and to assess the investment’s profitability based on the net present value (NPV) indicator. In addition, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out to evaluate the environmental impact of the proposed technology, with particular attention to its carbon footprint. The results indicate that the profitability of the system strongly depends on the market price and purity of glycolic acid, as well as on access to low-cost renewable electricity. The LCA confirms a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional CO production, though further technological advancements are required for industrial deployment.

Keywords: economic analysis; Life Cycle Assessment; photo-electrochemical reactor; ethylene glycol; carbon dioxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/19/5125/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/19/5125/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:19:p:5125-:d:1758964

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Cassie Shen

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().