Scientists from Multiple National Labs Are Finding New Ways to Convert Carbon Dioxide into Affordable Biofuels and Bioproducts.
Carbon Dioxide Reduction Electrolyzers are able to convert CO2 emissions into valuable materials. Photo courtesy of ANL
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the global average for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) set a record in 2021. The annual rate of CO2 emissions increase over the past 60 years is about 100 times faster than previous natural releases, such as those that occurred at the end of the last ice age 11,000 to 17,000 years ago. Primarily, this rapid increase is due to human-driven activities. Carbon utilization technologies can help reduce those emissions.
A collaborative team of scientists from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are searching for carbon utilization technologies that can make better use of the carbon dioxide generated by industry, transportation, and agriculture, by transforming it into sustainable aviation fuel and other useful products. The goal is to identify catalysts that can make beneficial products (such as sustainable aviation fuel) efficiently and selectively.
Methanol has rich potential for uses that contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions and help in the fight against climate change. It can generate electricity when used for fuel cells, serve as a heating fuel for boilers, or be used as a sustainable or blended fuel for road, marine, or (potentially) aviation. “A net-zero greenhouse gas economy of the future will still need carbon-based fuels and chemicals,” said BETO Director Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed. “This research will expand the resource pool of renewable carbon that can be leveraged to meet those needs. Making renewable methanol from CO2 and electricity provides an innovative route to a host of fuels and products."
Learn more about this research, which was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).
BETO supports research, development, and demonstration to enable the sustainable use of domestic biomass and waste resources for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. BETO is part of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
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