This technology will stop climate change and extend the life of internal combustion

I recognize that the headline may seem confusing. In fact, they seem to be completely contradictory, considering that carbon dioxide emissions generated by human and industrial activity – which includes the burning of fossil fuels for transport – have been the cause of the climate change we are experiencing . CO emissions_two must be reduced, but even that may not be enough to stem the climate disaster. Unless an almost “magical” technology enters the scene, and on a large scale.

This technology is none other than CO uptake_two. This technology already exists, and is capable of capturing the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere through physical filtering. And paradoxically, this technology is the one that could save internal combustion: capturing carbon dioxide will help us produce green hydrogen, and at the same time, produce practically neutral synthetic fuels at the emission level. In this article we are going to see how it works, and if it really can be the panacea that it promises to be.

How does CO capture work?_two?

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and its scientific team, the capture of CO_two is defined as:

The capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) (CAC) constitute a process consisting of the separation of CO_two emitted by industry and energy-related sources, their transport to storage, and their long-term isolation from the atmosphere.

The objective is, therefore, reduce – or at least not increase – the amount of CO_two present in the atmosphere. When it comes to “sequestering” this gas, several paths can be followed. One of them is CO uptake._two for the production of synthetic fuels and green hydrogen – a solution rather aimed at a climate neutrality. Another way to sequester CO_two it is “burying” it through massive reforestation – something that can pose risks to biodiversity.

Depleted oil and gas fields are a great place to store CO_two atmospheric captured.

Other options value the physical capture of CO_two to produce building materials, fertilizers or even synthetic polymers. The hardest line of CO capture_two aims at your permanent sequestration and long-term physical storage – in geological formations, under the ocean or imbued in mineral carbonates – seeking to reduce the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The IPCC values ​​these technologies as a complement to emissions mitigation that the planet should be practicing.

How can it be used to produce green hydrogen?

In an ideal world there would be thousands of CO capture plants_two, powered by renewable energy, sequestering it permanently in the subsoil. But we are at Diariomotor, and in this article we want to explain how CO capture technologies_two they can be the salvation from internal combustion. The first requirement for it to be a viable option at a climatic and economic level is that the carbon dioxide capture plants use renewable energy – very low cost.

If the production of green hydrogen does not use renewable energies, it will not only be very polluting and counterproductive, but it will also be very expensive.

This energy is used to produce the electrolysis of water, i.e. separating hydrogen and oxygen from water, with the aim of producing hydrogen. This process is intensive in electricity and it is vital that it be, as we said, of renewable origin: not only logically, but also to be profitable at an industrial level. The green hydrogen obtained is already climate neutral, as it is produced with renewable energy, and can be used as fuel in adapted internal combustion engines, both Otto cycle and Diesel cycle.

But to the green hydrogen you can still add CO_two, captured by physical or chemical filtering, in which peroxides or electricity can be used, since it requires a specific temperature. The chemical combination of green hydrogen and CO_two results methanol, a hydrocarbon that can be easily converted into gasoline – without the need to make any changes to an engine adapted to burning fossil fuel. Brands such as Porsche estimate that on a large scale, synthetic gasoline could be sold for around €2/litre.

In the production of synthetic fuels, the climate neutrality of the supply chain must also be monitored.

Are CCS technologies the solution to our problems?

This is a difficult question to answer. if there were a global pact for the production and start-up of CO sequestration plants_two, and billions of euros were invested, it would possibly be a very helpful tool against climate change. But only large-scale use and low-cost sequestration of CO_two – the current cost is estimated at around €50/ton in the best of cases – it could make a difference in the fight against climate change and in the production of both H_two green as synthetic fuels.

The technology exists and works, but it must be profitable – at least for those who produce and operate CCS plants – if a 100% public model is not chosen, something logical in such an important planetary project. Now we leave the ball on your court, do you think that CO capture and storage technologies_two are the solution to our problems? Do you think they will be able to save internal combustion?