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Press Release10 October 2019Siemens AG, Evonik Industries AGMünchen/Essen
CO2 for a
clean performance: Rheticus research project enters phase 2
Unique test facility comprising a bioreactor and
electrolyzer under construction in Marl (Germany)
High-value specialty chemicals produced from CO2
and water using electricity from renewable sources and bacteria
Rheticus
II will receive funding of around €3.5 million from Germany's Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
Evonik and Siemens today
launched their joint research project Rheticus II. The goal is to develop an
efficient and powerful test plant that will use carbon dioxide (CO2) and water as
well as electricity from renewable sources and bacteria to produce specialty
chemicals. In the Rheticus I project, the two companies worked
for two years to develop the technically feasible basis for artificial
photosynthesis using a bioreactor and electrolyzers. Evonik and Siemens are now
combining these two, previously separate, plants in a test facility at Evonik’s
site in Marl (Germany). Rheticus II will run until 2021 and will receive
funding of around €3.5 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF).
Unique test facility comprising a bioreactor and
electrolyzer under construction in Marl (Germany)
High-value specialty chemicals produced from CO2
and water using electricity from renewable sources and bacteria
Rheticus
II will receive funding of around €3.5 million from Germany's Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
Evonik and Siemens today
launched their joint research project Rheticus II. The goal is to develop an
efficient and powerful test plant that will use carbon dioxide (CO2) and water as
well as electricity from renewable sources and bacteria to produce specialty
chemicals. In the Rheticus I project, the two companies worked
for two years to develop the technically feasible basis for artificial
photosynthesis using a bioreactor and electrolyzers. Evonik and Siemens are now
combining these two, previously separate, plants in a test facility at Evonik’s
site in Marl (Germany). Rheticus II will run until 2021 and will receive
funding of around €3.5 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF).
The world’s first fully automated CO2
electrolyzer from Siemens generates carbon monoxide. Together with hydrogen, it
delivers the main nutrients for the bacteria in the bioreactor.
“The innovative
technology used for Rheticus has the potential to contribute to the success of
Germany's energy transition,” says Thomas Haas, who is responsible for the
Rheticus project at Evonik. “In the future, this platform could be installed
anywhere CO2 is available—for example, at power plants or biogas
plants. We use available CO2 as the raw material for the production
of high-value chemicals using artificial photosynthesis.” Siemens is
contributing the world's first CO2 electrolyzer to the Rheticus
project. “We are developing a flexible system that can provide answers to
various questions raised by the energy transition,” says Karl-Josef Kuhn, who
is in charge of Power2X research at Siemens. “We are making it possible to
store renewable energy by converting it into useful substances such as
specialty chemicals or fuel. We are also contributing to the stability of the
grid because production is so flexible that we can respond to fluctuations in
power supply.”
The test facility is scheduled to start operating in early 2020. It
comprises electrolyzers and a bioreactor. In a first step, carbon dioxide and
water are converted into carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen in electrolyzers
with the aid of electricity. Special microorganisms then convert the CO in the
gases synthesized in this way into chemicals. Siemens and Evonik are each
contributing their core competencies—electrolysis and biotechnology—to this
artificial photosynthesis process. Artificial photosynthesis means combining
chemical and biological steps so that energy can be used to produce viable
chemicals from CO2 and water. Plants use natural photosynthesis in a
similar way: chlorophyll, enzymes and sunlight are used to synthesize glucose—a
vital, energy-rich nutrient. An other advantage of Rheticus is, that the technology platform
also contributes to the reduction of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere,
as it uses CO2 as a raw material. Three tons of carbon dioxide would
be needed to produce one tonne of butanol, for example.
In Evonik's module for the Rheticus test facility, bacteria convert
synthesis gases into specialty chemicals such as butanol. Source: Evonik
The synthesis module came on stream at Evonik in spring 2019. At its
heart is an 8-meter high stainless steel bioreactor with capacity of 2,000
liters. Microorganisms work continuously in the reactor. Their main nutrients
are hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Siemens has developed a fully automated CO2
electrolyzer which was integrated into a container in summer 2019. The world's
first CO2 electrolyzer comprises 10 cells and the total surface area
of the electrodes is 3,000 cm2. The electrolyzer and the bioreactor will be combined in the coming
months. In addition, a unit to process the liquid from the bioreactor is being
built to obtain pure chemicals.
In the test facility, bacteria will produce butanol and hexanol for
research purposes. These substances are used as starting products, for example,
for specialty plastics and food supplements. However other specialty chemicals
are conceivable, depending on the bacterial strain and conditions.
Following successful completion of Rheticus II, Evonik and Siemens
will have a unique technology platform allowing production of useful,
energy-rich substances such as specialty chemicals and artificial fuels from CO2 in a flexible, modular process.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. In fiscal 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, Siemens generated revenue of € 83.0 billion and net income of € 6.1 billion. At the end of September 2018, the company had around 379,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
Evonik is
one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty
businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and
performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate
strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in
the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity
and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the
world. In fiscal 2018, the enterprise with more than 32,000 employees generated
sales of €13.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.15
billion from continuing operations.
