Scaling Low Temperature CO2-to-Syngas Electroreduction: Insights into Engineering Bottlenecks and Mitigation Strategies

CO₂ electroreduction powered by renewable electricity offers a sustainable route to produce fuels and chemicals. The technology is entering the early stages of industrial adoption, with current low-temperature CO₂eR systems achieving reaction rates above 1 A cm⁻² and Faradaic efficiencies (FE) exceeding 90% for syngas production. The carbon monoxide: hydrogen (CO:H₂) ratio can be tuned between 1 and 5, enabling versatile downstream applications. In this review, we move beyond lab-scale performance metrics to identify the key challenges limiting CO₂-to-syngas commercialization, integrating insights from techno-economic and life-cycle analyses. We propose a roadmap protocol to bridge laboratory achievements and industrial implementation. An accelerated stress protocol defines standard, short, and extreme operational scenarios to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and interface stability. Emphasizing operational durability and energy efficiency (EE)—two decisive metrics for market-ready electrified syngas production—this framework outlines how rational materials design, system integration, and unified benchmarking can drive CO₂eR technologies toward industrial scale.