Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide

27 billion metric tones of carbon dioxide are being emitted each year and carbon credits currently trade at values of up to $40 USD per tonne.

In using renewable energy, Mantra'’s Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) technology combines captured CO₂ with water to produce high value materials, including: formic acid, formate salts, oxalic acid, and methanol. In addition, companies adopting ERC stand to make significant profit from its by-products. Formic acid, for example, currently sells for approx. $1,450/ton.

Mantra successfully completed a prototype capable of processing 1 kg of CO₂ per day in Oct. 2008, and its first commercial scale reactor is schedule for completion by Q2 2010.

Mixed Reactant Fuel Cell

MRFC stands for mixed reactant fuel cell: it is a simpler design than the standard fuel cell and is therefore less expensive to manufacture. This gives it a competitive advantage over the standard fuel cell and puts it on a more even competitive level with batteries. It is also expected to be rugged and flexible.

In two years, when MRFC is a commercial product, it is likely to be applied to powering light commuter vehicles, the next wave of transportation technology. In this it will have a big advantage over the standard fuel cell, and is more likely to compete with the upgraded battery systems now being developed.