Exploiting different electricity markets via highly rate-mismatched modular electrochemical synthesis

Abstract

Mitigating the inherent spatio-temporal stochasticity and intermittency of renewable power is key for enabling the decarbonization of the power grid and motivates the development of flexible technologies that can shift power demand and supply across space–time and scales. Here we develop an electrochemical synthesis strategy capable of providing demand (load) flexibility at different timescales by participating in multiple electricity markets (day ahead, real time and frequency regulation). Using a fast proton-conducting redox material, copper hexacyanoferrate, highly rate-mismatched modular electrochemical synthesis was achieved by decoupling half reactions with different intrinsic kinetics to produce chemicals under drastically different reaction rates and timescales: the fast hydrogen evolution reaction and slow persulfate production reaction. Such a strategy enables flexible participation in different electricity markets and can reduce electricity cost of chemical production by 30–40%. These results open a conceptual strategy for flexibly integrating modular electrochemical manufacturing processes into the fluctuating power grid to achieve more economical and sustainable operations. The inflexibility of power grids can lead to stranded renewable power that cannot be absorbed by the grid. Here Wang et al. report a modular electrochemical strategy for the production of useful chemicals that can provide demand flexibility, enabling participation in different electricity markets.