In a major breakthrough for sustainable chemistry and carbon utilization, OCOchem has successfully commissioned the world’s first pilot plant. The facility is capable of producing hydrogen formate and potassium formate at an industrial scale. It uses only carbon dioxide and water as feedstocks.
A Global First in CO₂ Electrolysis
Located in the U.S., the $5.0 million facility has a production capacity of 60 tons of formate per year. It marks the first industrial-scale deployment of CO₂ Electrolysis using commercial-grade gas diffusion electrodes, each measuring 1.5 square meters in surface area. At the heart of the plant is a four-cell electrolyzer stack—the largest of its kind—operating efficiently at ambient temperature and pressure. The system converts CO₂ and water into valuable organic formates with unmatched energy and cost efficiency.
Formate: A Future-Ready Molecule with Versatile Uses
The plant produces formate, a liquid organic molecule. It has broad industrial applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, metal processing, and cleaning products. Importantly, formate is gaining traction as a liquid carrier for hydrogen and syngas, positioning it as a key player in the clean energy transition.
A Third Pathway for Organic Molecule Production
“For over 300 years, we’ve had just two options to source useful carbon molecules—grow it as biomass or extract it from fossil fuels,” said Todd Brix, CEO of OCOchem. “Now, we have a third option: CO₂ Electrolysis. This is essentially artificial photosynthesis—but using industrial-scale components to instantly synthesize organic molecules from CO₂ and water. This innovation reduces technological risk while enabling faster commercialization at larger scales. “We’re proud to lead the way in creating a new manufacturing paradigm that bypasses fossil fuels and biomass entirely,” Brix added.
Formate: The Ideal C1 Molecule for a Post-Fossil Future
OCOchem sees CO₂-derived molecules becoming the new platform chemicals of the future—replacing traditional fossil-based feedstocks. “We believe the organic molecule supply chain will increasingly start from CO₂—if it can be done at a lower cost,” said Brix. Among carbon-based molecules, hydrogen formate (formic acid) stands out as the most energy-efficient and scalable C1 compound currently producible from CO₂. “It’s a two-electron molecule, and the only one that meets today’s energy cost benchmarks for commercial production,” he explained.
Paving the Way for Scalable, Fossil-Free Chemistry
As per the press release, OCOchem has successfully launched its pioneering pilot facility. This marks the beginning of a scalable, modular approach to clean chemical manufacturing. Thousands of electrolyzer cells could soon be deployed to build larger plants. This would support decentralized production networks, enabling a sustainable and circular carbon economy.
