German company Sunfire is to provide Total with a “megawatt scale” high temperature electrolyser (the Sunfire-HyLink 200 system) for the E-CO2MET research and development project. Total will use the electrolyser at its refinery in Leuna, near Leipzig, Germany, to produce methanol from CO₂, with heat and power to be provided by a combination of waste heat and steam from the refinery as well as renewable electricity (making the process energy efficient). The electrolyser can also be used to make hydrogen, though it is unclear at this stage if Total will employ it to that end during the research project. Marie-Noelle Semeria, Senior Vice President, Group Chief Technology Officer at Total said in a statement that “Total is delighted to develop efficient technologies to re-use CO₂ to chemicals, materials and fuels. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage is going to play an essential role in achieving carbon neutrality without curbing economic and social growth.”