Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is broadly recognised as having the potential to play a key role in meeting climate change targets, delivering low carbon heat and power, decarbonising industry and, more recently, its ability to facilitate the net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. However, despite this broad consensus and its technical maturity, CCS has not yet been deployed on a scale commensurate with the ambitions articulated a decade ago. Thus, in this paper we review the current state-of-the-art of CO2 capture, transport, utilisation and storage from a multi-scale perspective, moving from the global to molecular scales. In light of the COP21 commitments to limit warming to less than 2 °C, we extend the remit of this study to include the key negative emissions technologies (NETs) of bioenergy with CCS (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC). Cognisant of the non-technical barriers to deploying CCS, we reflect on recent experience from the UK's CCS commercialisation programme and consider the commercial and political barriers to the large-scale deployment of CCS. In all areas, we focus on identifying and clearly articulating the key research challenges that could usefully be addressed in the coming decade.

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Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward

To date, copper is the only heterogeneous catalyst that has shown a propensity to produce valuable hydrocarbons and alcohols, such as ethylene and ethanol, from electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R). There are variety of factors that impact CO2R activity and selectivity, including the catalyst surface structure, morphology, composition, the choice of electrolyte ions and pH, and the electrochemical cell design. Many of these factors are often intertwined, which can complicate catalyst discovery and design efforts. Here we take a broad and historical view of these different aspects and their complex interplay in CO2R catalysis on Cu, with the purpose of providing new insights, critical evaluations, and guidance to the field with regard to research directions and best practices. First, we describe the various experimental probes and complementary theoretical methods that have been used to discern the mechanisms by which products are formed, and next we present our current understanding of the complex reaction networks for CO2R on Cu. We then analyze two key methods that have been used in attempts to alter the activity and selectivity of Cu: nanostructuring and the formation of bimetallic electrodes. Finally, we offer some perspectives on the future outlook for electrochemical CO2R.

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Progress and Perspectives of Electrochemical CO2 Reduction on Copper in Aqueous Electrolyte

CO2 conversion covers a wide range of possible application areas from fuels to bulk and commodity chemicals and even to specialty products with biological activity such as pharmaceuticals. In the present review, we discuss selected examples in these areas in a combined analysis of the state-of-the-art of synthetic methodologies and processes with their life cycle assessment. Thereby, we attempted to assess the potential to reduce the environmental footprint in these application fields relative to the current petrochemical value chain. This analysis and discussion differs significantly from a viewpoint on CO2 utilization as a measure for global CO2 mitigation. Whereas the latter focuses on reducing the end-of-pipe problem “CO2 emissions” from todays’ industries, the approach taken here tries to identify opportunities by exploiting a novel feedstock that avoids the utilization of fossil resource in transition toward more sustainable future production. Thus, the motivation to develop CO2-based chemistry does...

Sustainable Conversion of Carbon Dioxide: An Integrated Review of Catalysis and Life Cycle Assessment

Progress in biofuel production from gasification

CO2 methanation is a well-known reaction that is of interest as a capture and storage (CCS) process and as a renewable energy storage system based on a power-to-gas conversion process by substitute or synthetic natural gas (SNG) production. Integrating water electrolysis and CO2 methanation is a highly effective way to store energy produced by renewables sources. The conversion of electricity into methane takes place via two steps: hydrogen is produced by electrolysis and converted to methane by CO2 methanation. The effectiveness and efficiency of power-to-gas plants strongly depend on the CO2 methanation process. For this reason, research on CO2 methanation has intensified over the last 10 years. The rise of active, selective, and stable catalysts is the core of the CO2 methanation process. Novel, heterogeneous catalysts have been tested and tuned such that the CO2 methanation process increases their productivity. The present work aims to give a critical overview of CO2 methanation catalyst production and research carried out in the last 50 years. The fundamentals of reaction mechanism, catalyst deactivation, and catalyst promoters, as well as a discussion of current and future developments in CO2 methanation, are also included.

Supported Catalysts for CO2 Methanation: A Review

Review on methanation – From fundamentals to current projects

Performance of supported and unsupported Fe and Co catalysts for the direct synthesis of light alkenes from synthesis gas

Nach gangiger Hypothese ist Erdgas ein fossiler Energietrager, der wie Erdol durch Umwandlungsprozesse organischer Stoffe unter hohem Druck und unter Abwesenheit von Sauerstoff im Erdinneren entstand und daher als Naturprodukt abhangig vom geologischen Fundort in seiner Zusammensetzung schwankt. Der Hauptanteil ist immer Methan, der zwischen 75 bis 98 % variiert. Die weiteren Anteile bestehen hauptsachlich aus Stickstoff, Ethan und Kohlenstoffdioxid. Bei der Erdgasaufbereitung wird das gewonnene Erdgas zunachst von Schwefel und anderen storenden Komponenten gereinigt, und es werden durch Trocknungsprozesse Wasser und langkettige Kohlenwasserstoffe dem Gas entzogen. Die Rolle des Erdgases beim Ausbau alternativer und erneuerbarer Energien ist von wachsender Bedeutung. Derzeit werden in Deutschland circa 80 % des Erdgases im Warmemarkt verwendet, das heist Erdgas wird nur zum geringeren Teil in der Stromerzeugung oder im Bereich der Mobilitat eingesetzt [1]. Jedoch wird im Verkehrssektor der Einsatz stetig zunehmen.

Erdgas und erneuerbares Methan

According to current thinking, natural gas is a fossil energy carrier that, just like oil, underwent organic transformation under high pressure and in the absence of oxygen in the interior of the earth and therefore its composition as a naturally occurring product varies according to its geological source. The main component is always methane, which varies between 75 and 98 %. Other components include nitrogen, ethane and carbon dioxide.

Michael Schlüter

Papers

Review on methanation – From fundamentals to current projects

Performance of supported and unsupported Fe and Co catalysts for the direct synthesis of light alkenes from synthesis gas

Erdgas und erneuerbares Methan

Natural Gas and Renewable Methane