Reusing carbon dioxide

CO2 capture and use or disposal will be an important environmental technology.

Most CO2 is generated centrally at power plants or petro-chemical complexes. This CO2 can be captured and stored - current proposals by oil companies are to pump it underground into fossil fuel wells. This technology will become more and more important as some countries revert to coal for energy. It may be possible to use this CO2 by converting it into a usable fuel, such as methanol or ethanol or even formate. This fuel would then be used in lieu of other fossil fuels, reducing fossil fuel use and hence depletion.

Energy input required is the key

The key to this technology will be minimizing the energy required to make the fuel by use of a good catalyst and chemical process. The technology can, however, also be linked to surplus energy that will be produced by renewable sources at peak power or where located away from the grid.

Carbon Trust grant for project with University of Edinburgh

The Carbon Trust has in March 2007 awarded Acta and the University of Edinburgh a £175,000 grant to explore the feasibility of using HYPERMEC catalysts for this application. The project will run for two years and has already attracted the attention of several leading energy suppliers.

Example in use 1: natural gas enrichment

Natural gas from the North Sea contains up to 7% CO2 when it comes on shore. Gas suppliers could sequestrate the CO2, thereby purifying and enriching natural gas supplies to consumers. The CO2 could then be converted to fuel using renewable energy such as wind or wave power that would not otherwise be usable, being located away from the main grid.

Example in use 2: ethanol plant

Ethanol plants produce large quantities of CO2 in the production of ethanol. This process might convert the main exhaust back into the main product.