Validation Begins for Bench-Scale Production of Solid Carbon from CO2 Using Molten Salt Electrolysis

Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. (a group company of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.), Kyoto University, I’MSEP Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., and SEC Carbon, Ltd. have jointly announced the start of a bench-scale validation project for manufacturing solid carbon from CO2 using molten salt electrolysis technology.

Building on previous joint studies, this initiative advances to the next stage of assessing technical feasibility with a perspective covering the entire supply chain—from CO2 supply and apparatus construction to evaluation as a carbon material and potential applications. With the participation of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (with a track record in design and construction for plant and process equipment) and SEC Carbon (with extensive expertise in manufacturing/evaluating carbon materials for electrolysis and high-temperature processes), the project will verify the feasibility of the process and materials using equipment with an annual carbon production capacity of several dozen kilograms.

As CCU technology gains attention for achieving a carbon-neutral society, molten salt electrolysis is distinguished by its ability to convert CO2 directly into solid carbon using only electrical energy, eliminating the need for expensive hydrogen. Furthermore, this method has the potential to contribute to the diversification and stabilization of the supply chain for carbon materials, which are indispensable for applications such as energy storage batteries.