A climate-neutral industry will emerge through both greater efficiency and new approaches to managing carbon and energy. Carbon dioxide can become a valuable feedstock, while renewable electricity can serve as the foundation for hydrogen production, synthetic fuels, and high-performance energy storage systems. This is precisely where the partnership begins: Fraunhofer IAP at Potsdam Science Park contributes its expertise in developing innovative membranes that can increase the energy efficiency of electrochemical processes. Fraunhofer UMSICHT complements this with its know-how in electrochemistry and plant engineering. SGC Energy brings CO₂ and power resources, as well as engineering expertise for the industrial implementation and commercialization of these technologies.

“With this cooperation, we are creating a framework in which material development, system integration, and practical application are considered together from the outset. Whether in CO₂ electrolysis, hydrogen, fuel cells, or batteries, a climate-neutral industry requires high-performance materials, robust components, and partners who consistently drive research toward practical application,” says Professor Alexander Böker, Director of Fraunhofer IAP.

Turning carbon dioxide into a valuable feedstock

A key focus of the collaboration is the electrochemical conversion of CO₂. In this process, carbon dioxide is converted into feedstocks for chemical products or synthetic fuels using electrical energy. One promising area of application is sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Especially in the South Korean market, CO₂ electrolysis is regarded as a highly promising pathway for SAF production and aligns with the country’s national decarbonization strategy. SGC Energy aims to integrate its carbon capture facilities with technologies from Fraunhofer IAP and Fraunhofer UMSICHT, thereby laying the foundation for the industrial deployment and commercialization of this approach in South Korea. This could enable greater utilization of CO₂ within industrial value chains while gradually reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks.

New membranes for efficient electrolyzers

High-performance materials and stable components are essential to ensuring that processes such as CO₂ electrolysis can be deployed reliably and economically at industrial scale. Membranes play a key role: They selectively separate substances, enable ion transport, and thereby influence the efficiency, selectivity, and service life of electrochemical systems. While established solutions are already available for hydrogen electrolysis, there is still a need for further development in CO₂ electrolysis.

Three partners bring together materials, systems, and applications

Fraunhofer IAP contributes its expertise in the development of polymeric energy materials and their scaling up to an industry-relevant level. These include PFAS-free high-performance membranes for electrolyzers, as well as polymer solid electrolytes and binders for batteries. In addition to enhancing the performance and energy efficiency of electrochemical systems, PFAS-free membranes offer advantages considering upcoming regulatory requirements. This reflects the growing attention being paid to the use of PFAS chemicals. The goal is to tailor material and membrane properties, making electrochemical systems more efficient, longer-lasting, and more powerful.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT strengthens the partnership with its expertise in developing cost-competitive CO₂ electrolysis cells and innovative stack concepts. The institute has many years of experience in design, scale-up, and testing of electrochemical systems under industry-relevant conditions. A key focus is the integration of CO₂ electrolysis into existing industrial infrastructures to accelerate the transfer from research to practice. In this way, Fraunhofer UMSICHT bridges the gap between the materials development carried out by Fraunhofer IAP and the industrial deployment pursued by SGC Energy.

Professor Christian Doetsch, Director of Fraunhofer UMSICHT, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration: “The transformation of industrial energy systems can only succeed when new materials, electrochemical processes, and scalable plant concepts work hand in hand. Through this partnership, we are combining our process and system expertise with advanced materials research and industrial requirements.”

As an industry partner, SGC Energy contributes concrete market requirements and experience from industrial value chains. This enables new technologies to be aligned with practical needs and economic potential from an early stage. “For us, this partnership is an important strategic step toward actively shaping the future technologies needed for a climate-neutral industry,” says Ken Yoon, Chief Strategy Officer of SGC Energy. “Our collaboration with Fraunhofer IAP and Fraunhofer UMSICHT allows us to access outstanding research in the fields of CO₂ utilization, hydrogen, fuel cells, and batteries.”

A starting point for collaborative research and development projects

By signing the Memorandum of Understanding, the partners agree to prepare and implement joint research and development projects. In the coming months, specific initiatives will be defined to further advance technologies for CO₂ utilization, hydrogen applications, battery systems, and fuel cell systems.