Transforming “Made in America” Using CO2

Turning Waste Into Value

Highly efficient electrolyzers developed at LSU can transform CO2 into the basic building blocks we need to make carbon-based products such as sunglasses, detergents, clothing, medicines, and food. Even a grapefruit hard seltzer is planned for Tin Roof Brewing in Baton Rouge, which is set to reopen soon as a brewpub.

“The hard seltzer is kind of a novelty, but it demonstrates we can convert CO2 into products like ethanol,” said John Flake, LSU professor of chemical engineering and one of the founders of Encore, a Louisiana startup built on LSU technology.

Flake’s innovations in electrolytic CO2 conversion could eventually lead to replacing all fossil-based products with products made with CO2.

While two-thirds of U.S. carbon emissions come from transportation and power generation—both of which can happen almost entirely without carbon—about two-thirds of Louisiana’s carbon emissions come from industries that make carbon-based products while trying to meet their own commitments to net-zero emissions by 2050.

“I applaud the efforts of Encore,” said Amy Odom, site development and technology leader at BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer. “There are some great niche markets that will take advantage of these emerging technologies, and I could see them possibly co-locating with an industry partner to use their CO2.”

“It’s a little crazy to think I’m now involved in something that could change the world. Almost everybody in our space who are doing these tech startups are coming from MIT and Stanford. It makes me proud to show that people from Louisiana can do this, that LSU can do this. Working as a team, we’re doing something great with people we like.”

William McGehee, owner of Tin Roof Brewing and co-founder of Encore, a tech startup built on LSU technology