4. Future Vision: CETL™ – Creating Fuels from Captured CO₂
Our future-focused CETL™ initiative, in partnership with CNL, is advancing groundbreaking research to convert captured CO₂ directly into synthetic e-fuels. Pilot-scale development, supported by federal funding, is currently underway to create a truly circular carbon economy for fuels.
Expander Energy, in a strategic research and development partnership with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), is actively advancing our transformative CETL™ (CO₂ Electrolysis to Liquids) technology. This visionary initiative represents the next frontier in sustainable energy, aiming to create a truly circular carbon economy by directly converting captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) into synthetic liquid e-fuels.
Core Concept and Ambition:
Primary Technology Focus: CETL™ (co-patented by Expander and CNL).
Targeted Feedstocks: Captured CO₂ (from industrial point sources or Direct Air Capture – DAC) combined with "green" hydrogen (produced via advanced co-electrolysis technology also being developed with CNL).
Targeted Products: Synthetic liquid e-fuels, effectively recycling CO₂ emissions and efficiently converting them into energy dense liquid fuels suitable for todays diesel and jet engines.
Strategic Goal: To develop an effieict pathway for production of low carbon intensity e-fuels
Current Development Status & Progress:
CETL™ is an active research and development program focused on foundational science and pilot-scale validation. Key progress includes:
Ongoing Collaboration with CNL: Leveraging deep expertise in nuclear science, hydrogen, and advanced electrolysis.
Funded Pilot Program: Supported by a $2 million program (supported by the Canadian Clean Fuels Fund - CFF), research and development of a CO₂ Co-electrolyzer and a pilot-scale facility are underway at St. Mary's Cement in Ontario. This program commenced in late 2023 and targets completion by late 2025.
This pioneering work positions Expander Energy and CNL at the cutting edge of future fuel solutions, exploring groundbreaking ways to address climate change by transforming CO₂ from a liability into a valuable resource.