24 May 2021 14:39 GMT Updated 24 May 2021 14:39 GMT in Singapore Researchers from Shell and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will jointly develop processes to use carbon dioxide to produce fuels and chemicals for the energy industry. This three-year, S$4.6 million (US$3.4 million) research programme, supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), aims to electrochemically produce ethanol and n-propanol from CO 2 a by-product of industrial processes that is commonly released into the atmosphere. The research could help reduce carbon emissions and their impact on the environment. Ethanol and n-propanol can be blended with gasoline to deliver cleaner-burning fuels. They can further be dehydrated to produce, respectively, ethylene and propylene, which are commercially important molecules used in producing polymers that go into products such as medical equipment and houseware items.
2021 0514 NUS and Shell join hands to advance decarbonisation solutions The research agreement was inked by (front row, from left) Ms Emily Tan, General Manager, City Solutions, Shell Renewables and Energy Solutions, and Professor Chen Tsuhan, NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology). The signing was witnessed by (back row, from left) Professor Low Teck Seng, Chief Executive Officer, National Research Foundation Singapore, Ms Aw Kah Peng, Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore, and Mr Chng Kai Fong, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board. Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and international energy giant Shell will jointly develop novel processes to use carbon dioxide, a byproduct of industrial processes, to produce fuels and chemicals for the energy industry. Supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), this S$4.6 million research programme was formalised by all three parties at a ceremony held today.