The previous week we addressed the possibility of recycling CO2 captured directly from the air to give it other uses or, failing that, to store it. The advantage of this application is that it addresses emissions from mobile sources, mainly transport, and historical emissions, unlike the capture of emissions in fixed sources such as electricity generation plants or cement factories.
We concluded the circular effect that this measure would have in the energy sector, which generates almost 75% of global CO2 emissions. However, capturing the CO2 emitted by fixed and mobile sources related to the energy sector and transport also requires energy. And it is no small thing. Research published in the journal Nature indicates that, if massively implemented, direct air CO2 capture systems to capture all the remaining gas and gas in generation by 2100 would represent around 25% of total energy consumed.
In such a way that we have a circular energy problem; if the energy used to bring direct air CO2 capture machines to life comes from fossil sources, there would be a balance problem; more emissions would be produced while trying to control the existing ones.
What is the solution?
The expected answer comes in two ways. On the one hand, in the hope that technology advances and improves its energy efficiency per kilogram of captured CO2; on the other, in a world dominated by energy generation through renewable sources and storage.
In this way, solar and wind generation and thermal storage, in hydrogen cells or in gravity, could provide 100% decarbonized energy to turn on the CO2 capture machines. That would reduce the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 and other gases that cause global warming.
Consequently, the decrease of CO2 could lead to a lower effect of climate change and, in this way, to an energy and circular transition.
Of course, thinking about capturing CO2 directly from the air is a solution that allows a transition and management of historical and current emissions from fixed and mobile sources. In such a way that, accompanied by other transition efforts such as a revolution in renewables for generation and in mobility, both electric or through hydrogen, would allow thinking about a process of total decarbonization in this century.
Without a doubt, there is still much to think about developing this technology and adapting it throughout the world; however, this leads us to another situation: can we convert recycled CO2 and not only store it? We will talk about that next week.
This article was originally published by Business Insider México.
Date: April 6, 2021
Original Link: https://businessinsider.mx/energia-circular-y-co2-reciclado/ [offline]
Archived Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20240526060424/https://businessinsider.mx/energia-circular-y-co2-reciclado/ [Archived]