Natural hydrogen in the energy transition: Fundamentals, promise, and enigmas

Beyond its role as an energy vector, a growing number of natural hydrogen sources and reservoirs are being discovered all over the globe, which could represent a clean energy source. Although the hydrogen amounts in reservoirs are uncertain, they could be vast, and they could help decarbonize energy-intensive economic sectors and facilitate the energy transition. Natural hydrogen is mainly produced through a geochemical process known as serpentinization, which involves the reaction of water with low-silica, ferrous minerals. In favorable locations, the hydrogen produced…

Negative emissions power plant based on flexible calcium-looping process integrated with renewables and methane production

This paper provides a review of negative carbon capture technologies. Based on these technologies, here it is proposed an innovative negative emissions power plant combining the generation and storage of energy from biomass, photovoltaic, and concentrated solar power, capturing and recovering CO2 by producing H2 or CH4 as green energy carriers. The main features of the system are i) large-scale energy…

Process design and utilisation strategy for CO2 capture in flue gases. Technical assessment and preliminary economic approach for steel mills

The steel industry is the most relevant sector in emerging economies due to its application in numerous fields. However, steel manufacturing involves large energy investment and produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. The current world economic and environmental scenario therefore necessitates that improvements in the footprint of the steel industry be made without affecting its viability.…

Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion to C-2 products: Catalysts design, market perspectives and techno-economic aspects

The energy crisis caused by the incessant growth in global energy demand joint to its associated greenhouse emissions motivates the urgent need to control and mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels. Leveraging CO2 as carbon pool to produce value-added products represents a cornerstone of the circular economy. Among the CO2 utilization strategies, electrochemical reduction of CO2 conversion…