The chemical industry is responsible for over 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily because it relies on fossil fuels as raw materials. Nearly every product we use today (plastics, textiles, fertilizers, fuels) starts with petrochemicals. This foundational reliance makes decarbonizing the industry one of the most complicated sustainability challenges. Moreover, as demand for chemicals such as ethylene grows globally, the sector’s emissions are projected to rise unless disruptive technologies can break the fossil-fuel link. While carbon capture is a growing field, few technologies offer viable pathways to turn captured CO₂ into a valuable product at scale.
A startup named CERT (Carbon Electrochemical Reduction Technologies) offers a solution to this problem. It uses electricity, water, and CO₂ to create essential chemicals. Their core innovation lies in a process called direct CO₂ electrolysis, which can produce ethylene, the most widely used carbon-based chemical in the world without using any fossil fuels.
To better understand how their process works, we spoke to Alexander Ip, CEO of CERT. This article contains notable highlights from our entire conversation.
Also Read:
This interview is part of our exclusive Scouted By GreyB series. Here, we speak with the founders of innovative startups to understand how their solutions address critical industry challenges and help ensure compliance with industry and government regulations. (Know more about startups scouted by GreyB!)
“There aren’t many options for making sustainable chemicals right now—so we’re focused on the one piece we do best: converting CO₂ into the world’s most-used chemical.”
– Alexander Ip
Alexander Ip serves as Chief Executive Officer of CERT Systems Inc., leading the company’s strategic direction, technology development, and commercialization efforts. Under Ip’s leadership, CERT has built a platform that uses only water and electricity to drive CO₂ conversion, targeting products like ethylene, a key input for plastics and fuels. The company also received support from Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada, which is backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, where Ip was selected as an Innovator Fellow.
How CERT makes Ethylene from CO2 using water and electricity
CERT (Carbon Electrochemical Reduction Technologies) is a Canadian startup transforming the chemical industry by converting CO₂ into essential chemicals like ethylene using only water and electricity. Their proprietary electrochemical process eliminates the need for fossil fuels, slashing emissions while producing cost-competitive, high-value products. By offering a plug-and-play solution compatible with existing manufacturing setups, CERT is pioneering a scalable path toward decarbonized chemical production.
What does CERT do, and what problem are you solving?
Alex: The world relies on chemicals; 96% of products involve them in some form. But most are made from fossil fuels, which creates massive emissions. At CERT, we make essential chemicals like ethylene using CO₂, electricity, and water instead. We developed a process called direct CO₂ electrolysis, which splits CO₂ molecules and reformulates them into chemicals typically made from oil or gas. The result? The same chemical, but carbon-negative.
Where do you source the CO₂ and energy needed for the process?
Alex: We’re agnostic about the CO₂ source. We can use emissions from industrial sites or pull it directly from the air. Our latest pilot uses atmospheric CO₂ to produce ethylene. For electricity, we obviously need clean energy. In Canada, we’re fortunate to have a strong base of hydro power. As long as the electricity is green, our process remains sustainable.
Can your technology be integrated into existing industrial infrastructure?
Alex: Definitely. We’ve worked hard to make it modular and compatible. We’re not asking industries to change their whole setup. We just want to sit at the very beginning of the value chain. For example, we produce ethylene, which existing plants can then use to make plastics, fuels, or other products, just as they would with fossil-based ethylene. The result is the same, but now it’s produced sustainably.
How scalable is your technology?
Alex: We’ve already proven scalability to some extent. A few years ago, we were finalists in the Carbon XPRIZE, where we converted industrial CO₂ into ethylene. Since then, we’ve been refining the system. It’s electrochemical, allowing us to build modules, each of which converts a set amount of CO₂. Scaling is just a matter of deploying more modules, like servers. The only limits are electricity and CO₂ availability.
Do you plan to develop your own carbon capture systems?
Alex: No, we’re staying focused on the conversion. Direct air capture is complicated enough on its own, and there are companies already doing a great job in this area. But we are exploring integrations. One example is reactive capture, where we not only capture the CO₂ but also convert it and regenerate the capture material in one step. But even then, our focus is always on the conversion technology.
What are the technical challenges around electrode degradation, and how are you addressing them?
Alex: Great question. Electrode durability is critical, both for cost and maintenance. We’ve worked from day one to build robust electrodes that last. We also have ways to regenerate them without taking the system apart. Some of our tests have already run for thousands of hours while maintaining performance. The main bottleneck now is time—we just need more time and capacity to keep proving the longevity.
How does the cost of your ethylene compare to traditional or bio-based sources?
Alex: Right now, we’re already competitive with bio-based ethylene. Those are often used by brands looking for sustainable alternatives, and we fit into that space. As we scale and electricity prices drop, especially with intermittent renewables, we expect to reach cost parity with fossil fuels for ethylene production. Environmentally, we’re already ahead. For every ton of ethylene we make, we avoid up to five tons of CO₂ compared to traditional methods. That’s massive.
Meet our Interviewer – Shabaz Khan, Marketing Manager at GreyB
Shabaz Khan, Marketing Manager
Want to find other scalable startups working on carbon reduction and sustainability? Please fill out the form below to contact our experts.
Get in touch
Please share your query below
