Montpellier and Adelaide Universities unveil direct CO2-to-fuel method

International researchers led by the Université de Montpellier and the University of Adelaide have developed an organic‑solvent system that converts carbon dioxide from raw industrial flue gas directly into carbon monoxide, a key feedstock for fuels and chemicals. In tests with simulated exhaust containing 15% CO₂ and 8% O₂, the process achieved almost 100% conversion selectivity while consuming 30.7 GJ of energy per tonne of CO produced. The setup operated continuously for more than 100 hours without performance loss. When paired with a high‑efficiency solar cell, the integrated system reached a solar‑to‑fuel efficiency of about 5.5%, comparable to technologies that require purified CO₂. The researchers say the approach could help heavy‑industry sectors such as steel, alumina, cement, chemicals and energy move toward cleaner, more circular production. The work was published in Nature Communications.