Converting carbon dioxide into chemicals
Meeting report by Jeff Hardy
ESEF Manager, Royal Society of Chemistry,
ECG Bulletin January 2007
ESEF Manager, Royal Society of Chemistry,
ECG Bulletin January 2007
Sequestering carbon dioxide captured from power plants is a viable technology for reducing the carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion. However, are we missing an opportunity to exploit the captured carbon dioxide as a chemical feedstock?
This was the question posed to participants at a Royal Society of Chemistry workshop held at Burlington House on July 27th 2006. In this interactive workshop 50 participants had the opportunity to explore the chemical science behind the conversion of carbon dioxide into chemicals; to determine where the UK is in terms of academic expertise in the field and finally to indicate research priorities for the UK.
Summary of key points
This was the question posed to participants at a Royal Society of Chemistry workshop held at Burlington House on July 27th 2006. In this interactive workshop 50 participants had the opportunity to explore the chemical science behind the conversion of carbon dioxide into chemicals; to determine where the UK is in terms of academic expertise in the field and finally to indicate research priorities for the UK.
Summary of key points
Carbon dioxide can be converted into chemicals, fuels and polymers and there are technologies available today to achieve this. In context, the entire output of the chemicals industry (excluding fuels) is equivalent on a carbon basis to around 1-2% of the total annual anthropogenic carbon emissions (6Gt). Therefore, chemicals based on CO2 could contribute to reducing carbon emissions but not at a significant level; the synthesis of fuels (for example via Fischer-Tropsch chemistry) could substantially increase carbon emission reduction. CO2 as a building block in long-lived polymers can be viewed as a mechanism to sequester carbon in the long-term. There are a number of potential technologies that require further research and development; for example the photochemical conversion of CO2.
In the medium-term it is expected that fossil fuel power plants fitted with carbon capture and storage technologies will provide a source of relatively pure CO2. In order to take advantage of this it is suggested that CO2-to-chemicals technologies should be applicable at relatively low CO2 pressures to avoid energy intensive pressurisation steps. It is important that CO2 conversion technologies are developed alongside work on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies so that they can be considered in the design of pilot and full scale CCS plants.
The full life cycle analysis of technologies for converting CO2 into chemicals must be considered. This will enable an unbiased assessment of the technology options as well as an opportunity to compare against other carbon abatement technologies. It is also critical that an economic argument can be made to support technologies to convert CO2 to chemicals.
Government and funding bodies should consider establishing a UK research centre with a focus on CO2 chemistry. It is unclear whether this might be included in the remit of the recently announced energy and environmental research institute. In addition, to reduce the time for technological breakthroughs, funding mechanisms that allow researchers from outside of the EU to collaborate with UK research groups should be introduced. There is a need to attract, train, enthuse and retain high calibre talented young people in disciplines relevant to this field.
In the medium-term it is expected that fossil fuel power plants fitted with carbon capture and storage technologies will provide a source of relatively pure CO2. In order to take advantage of this it is suggested that CO2-to-chemicals technologies should be applicable at relatively low CO2 pressures to avoid energy intensive pressurisation steps. It is important that CO2 conversion technologies are developed alongside work on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies so that they can be considered in the design of pilot and full scale CCS plants.
The full life cycle analysis of technologies for converting CO2 into chemicals must be considered. This will enable an unbiased assessment of the technology options as well as an opportunity to compare against other carbon abatement technologies. It is also critical that an economic argument can be made to support technologies to convert CO2 to chemicals.
Government and funding bodies should consider establishing a UK research centre with a focus on CO2 chemistry. It is unclear whether this might be included in the remit of the recently announced energy and environmental research institute. In addition, to reduce the time for technological breakthroughs, funding mechanisms that allow researchers from outside of the EU to collaborate with UK research groups should be introduced. There is a need to attract, train, enthuse and retain high calibre talented young people in disciplines relevant to this field.
Web link to downloadable pdf files of all the presentations and a final report from this meeting:
http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Events/ConvertingCO2toChemicals.asp
Dr JEFF HARDY
ESEF Manager,
Royal Society of Chemistry,
Burlington House,
Piccadilly,
London W1J 0BA
Email: Dr Jeff Hardy
http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Events/ConvertingCO2toChemicals.asp
Dr JEFF HARDY
ESEF Manager,
Royal Society of Chemistry,
Burlington House,
Piccadilly,
London W1J 0BA
Email: Dr Jeff Hardy
