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The global potential for converting renewable electricity to negative-CO2-emissions hydrogen

Author

Listed:
  • Greg H. Rau

    (University of California Santa Cruz)

  • Heather D. Willauer

    (US Naval Research Laboratory)

  • Zhiyong Jason Ren

    (University of Colorado Boulder
    Princeton University
    Princeton University)

Abstract

The IPCC has assigned a critical role to negative-CO2-emissions energy in meeting energy and climate goals by the end of the century, with biomass energy plus carbon capture and storage (BECCS) prominently featured. We estimate that methods of combining saline water electrolysis with mineral weathering powered by any source of non-fossil fuel-derived electricity could, on average, increase energy generation and CO2 removal by >50 times relative to BECCS, at equivalent or lower cost. This electrogeochemistry avoids the need to produce and store concentrated CO2, instead converting and sequestering CO2 as already abundant, long-lived forms of ocean alkalinity. Such energy systems could also greatly reduce land and freshwater impacts relative to BECCS, and could also be integrated into conventional energy production to reduce its carbon footprint. Further research is needed to better understand the full range and capacity of the world’s negative-emissions options.

Suggested Citation

  • Greg H. Rau & Heather D. Willauer & Zhiyong Jason Ren, 2018. "The global potential for converting renewable electricity to negative-CO2-emissions hydrogen," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(7), pages 621-625, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:8:y:2018:i:7:d:10.1038_s41558-018-0203-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0203-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiao, Jin & Li, Guohao & Xie, Ling & Wang, Shouyang & Yu, Lean, 2021. "Decarbonizing China's power sector by 2030 with consideration of technological progress and cross-regional power transmission," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    2. Sarah Gore & Phil Renforth & Rupert Perkins, 2019. "The potential environmental response to increasing ocean alkalinity for negative emissions," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 1191-1211, October.
    3. Li, Yanxue & Gao, Weijun & Ruan, Yingjun, 2019. "Potential and sensitivity analysis of long-term hydrogen production in resolving surplus RES generation—a case study in Japan," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1164-1172.
    4. Pedro Macedo & Mara Madaleno, 2022. "Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Nexus: Evidence from a Maximum Entropy Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Gunther Glenk & Stefan Reichelstein, 2022. "Reversible Power-to-Gas systems for energy conversion and storage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Lowy, Daniel A. & Melendez, Jesus R. & Mátyás, Bence, 2024. "Electroreduction of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels: A low-cost, sustainable technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    7. Rau, Greg H. & Baird, Jim R., 2018. "Negative-CO2-emissions ocean thermal energy conversion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 265-272.
    8. Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi & Mohammad Dehghani Madvar & Milad Sadeghzadeh & Mohammad Hossein Rezaei & Manuel Herrera & Shahaboddin Shamshirband, 2019. "Current Status Investigation and Predicting Carbon Dioxide Emission in Latin American Countries by Connectionist Models," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, May.
    9. EdwardA. Parson & HollyJ. Buck, 2020. "Large-Scale Carbon Dioxide Removal: The Problem ofPhasedown," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(3), pages 70-92, August.
    10. Capros, Pantelis & Zazias, Georgios & Evangelopoulou, Stavroula & Kannavou, Maria & Fotiou, Theofano & Siskos, Pelopidas & De Vita, Alessia & Sakellaris, Konstantinos, 2019. "Energy-system modelling of the EU strategy towards climate-neutrality," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).

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