Low-Emission Fuel Alternatives to Consider

Low-Carbon Hydrogen from Chemical Looping – Smarter Process, Greener Future Hydrogen holds promise as a clean energy carrier, but how we produce it matters just as much as how we use it. One elegant pathway? Chemical looping. In this post, I break down the smart configurations behind a greener hydrogen economy. 🟦 1) Why Chemical Looping? Chemical looping combustion (CLC) enables hydrogen production while inherently capturing CO₂ — no extra capture step required. It uses metal oxides to “loop” oxygen, separating fuel oxidation from the air supply. That means low emissions and high efficiency. 🟦 2) Key Configurations Based on NETL's hydrogen safety report, here are the main chemical looping setups: 🔹 CLC with Air Reactor + Fuel Reactor → Burns fuel indirectly using a metal oxide (MeO). → MeO is reduced in the fuel reactor and regenerated in the air reactor. → Result: CO₂ and H₂O — easy to separate! 🔹 CLC + Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) → Integrates reforming with looping to boost hydrogen yield. → Captures CO₂ without needing extra sorbents. 🔹 CLC with Oxygen Carrier Circulation + Water-Gas Shift (WGS) → Adds a shift reactor to maximize hydrogen by converting CO and steam to H₂ + CO₂. → Coupled with chemical looping, it enables near-zero-emission hydrogen. 🟦 3) Smarter Engineering, Safer Systems The modular nature of these configurations also means more controlled environments — which reduces the hydrogen hazard footprint (fires, jet flames, VCEs). That's a win for safety as well as sustainability. 🟦 4) The Road Ahead Chemical looping may not be mainstream—yet—but its low-carbon credentials, built-in CO₂ capture, and flexibility across fuels (natural gas, biomass, coal) make it a key player in the hydrogen transition. 🟦 Source: Figure 41, NETL Hydrogen Safety Report (Mar 2023) This post is for educational purposes only. 👇 Do you see chemical looping gaining momentum in your region’s hydrogen strategy?

Happy to share our latest publication in Biomass & Bioenergy (IF 5.8): “Molasses to energy: Techno-economic and environmental assessment of co-production of bioethanol and synthetic natural gas (SNG)” This work proposes an integrated biorefinery approach to co-produce bioethanol and SNG from molasses, a sugar industry by-product, with an aim to minimize emissions and improve process efficiency. It also provides a pathway to valorize biogenic emissions while promoting circular economy principles in the biofuel industry. Access on this link: 📄 [https://lnkd.in/gcuWVjpc] 🔍 Key contributions of the study: • A novel process integration framework using Aspen Plus to model the full pathway from molasses to ethanol and methane. • Utilization of green hydrogen from electrolysis and biogenic CO₂ (from fermentation) to synthesize SNG via the Sabatier reaction. • Energy input is primarily from hydropower with rice husk as supplementary heat source. • Achieves carbon efficiency of 72% and demonstrates potential for carbon-negative operations. • Detailed techno-economic analysis estimates a levelized cost of 1754.15 USD/MT for both products (bioethanol & SNG). • Environmental analysis shows significant reductions in global warming potential, acid rain potential, and eutrophication potential with rice husk over fossil alternatives. • Includes sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to identify cost drivers and optimize process economics. Grateful to my co-authors for their incredible collaboration on this work: Prabhav Thapa, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Dikshya Baidar, and Bibek Uprety, PhD. #Bioenergy #TechnoEconomicAnalysis #SustainableEngineering #GreenHydrogen #SNG #ProcessDesign #AspenPlus #LifeCycleAssessment #CircularEconomy #CarbonEfficiency

MIT researchers have unveiled a sodium–air fuel cell that could make electric planes, ships, and trains not only possible—but practical. Delivering over three times the energy density of today’s best lithium-ion batteries, this system ditches the weight problem and recharges with a quick fuel swap instead of a long plug-in. Powered by liquid sodium and ambient air, it doesn’t just avoid CO₂ emissions—it eats them, spitting out baking soda as a byproduct. With energy performance that blows past current EV tech, this isn’t just a battery alternative—it’s a reinvention of electric power. https://lnkd.in/e5QqZeUs FuturistSpeaker.com

Have you heard about California's big push for clean hydrogen? They aim to increase production by 1,700 times. This clean energy drive is happening across several sectors. In transportation, hydrogen fuel cell trucks are gaining traction. These trucks can go as far as diesel ones but without the pollution. California is considering cutting sales tax on these zero-emission vehicles to speed things up. For power, hydrogen could help keep the lights on when the sun's not shining or the wind's not blowing. Some utilities are already planning hydrogen projects. At ports, hydrogen fuel cells might soon power everything from trucks to cranes. This could really clean up the air in nearby communities. Shipping companies are looking at hydrogen-based fuels too. Just one shipping route could use over 100,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year by 2035. Even planes might run on hydrogen in the future. California airports could need 47 tonnes of hydrogen daily for aircraft by 2035. But there are still some big hurdles: • Making clean hydrogen cheaper • Building the infrastructure to produce and move it • Setting up consistent rules and standards To tackle these, California is considering: - Incentives for making and using hydrogen - New electricity pricing for hydrogen producers - Faster approvals for hydrogen projects They're also considering storing hydrogen underground in old oil and gas fields. The idea is to focus on hydrogen hubs at places like ports and airports. This could help build demand and bring costs down. It's a challenging road ahead, but California sees hydrogen as key to going carbon-neutral by 2045. You can learn more from the Whitepaper attached below. What do you think about hydrogen's role in our clean energy future? PS. Repost this to your network ♻️

Green hydrogen production rightly gets a lot of attention these days. It’s a fuel that burns without GHG emissions, has a high energy density by weight, and can be produced emissions-free by splitting water using clean electricity. But even if we can produce it at target costs, storing and transporting it can be expensive and energy-intensive. Because of its low volumetric energy density, it needs to be stored under high pressures and at low temperatures. The molecule is so small that it leaks out of existing gas piping. Natasha Kostenuk, P.Eng, shared in our latest episode that Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) offer a solution. By combining Hydrogen with a reusable LOHC, a new substance is formed that is as easy to transport and store as diesel. The LOHC can then be extracted, leaving pure hydrogen. Hear how Natasha and her team at Ayrton Energy are making it happen on Hardware to Save a Planet! Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4cF7Nw8 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3L8oXX0

𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗟𝗼𝘄-𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Emerging clean firm technologies refer to energy solutions capable of providing reliable, low-carbon power continuously (or on demand) regardless of weather or time of day. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: 𝟭. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 ⚡Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): Compact, factory-built reactors designed for scalability and flexibility. ⚡Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs): Utilize molten salts as a coolant, providing efficient heat transfer and safety benefits. ⚡Fast Reactors: Advanced designs that can use nuclear waste as fuel. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ⚡Hydrogen Storage: Storing hydrogen generated from renewable energy for later use in power generation or industrial applications. ⚡Flow Batteries: Large-scale batteries with separate storage and reaction components, ideal for long-term energy storage. ⚡Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES): Storing energy by compressing air and releasing it to generate electricity when needed. 𝟯. 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 ⚡Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS): Engineering heat extraction from deeper or less permeable areas of Earth's crust. ⚡Supercritical Geothermal: Utilizing extremely high-pressure, high-temperature water for enhanced energy production. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗖𝗖𝗦) ⚡Applied to natural gas, coal, or biomass plants to capture and store CO₂ emissions underground. ⚡Combined with gas plants to enable "net-zero" operations. 𝟱. 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ⚡Green Hydrogen: Produced via electrolysis powered by renewable energy, it can be burned in turbines or used in fuel cells for electricity generation. ⚡Blue Hydrogen: Hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture. 𝟲. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 ⚡Biomass Gasification: Converting organic material into syngas for power generation. ⚡Carbon-Negative Bioenergy: Coupled with CCS, biomass can remove CO₂ from the atmosphere while generating energy. 𝟳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ⚡Hot Rocks or Molten Salt: Storing excess renewable energy as heat for later use in power generation. ⚡Cryogenic Energy Storage: Using liquid air or other cryogenic methods for energy storage. 𝟴. 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 ⚡Fuels created from captured CO₂ and green hydrogen, which can be used in existing power plants. 𝟵. 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 ⚡Harvesting energy from ocean movements as a consistent, renewable power source. * * * * * * * * * * 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿!™ For energy insights, follow: #EnergyNinjaChronicles ⚡ Subscribe to the newsletter: 📩 https://lnkd.in/dGpq2-dC #GridReliability #RenewableIntegration #EnergyInnovation

Efforts to spend billions of dollars to take CO2 emitted from ethanol plants in the U.S. Midwest and build hundreds of miles of pipeline to transport and bury this resource in underground storage sites have faced significant roadblocks. An alternative approach is to take the CO2 from these plants, combine with green hydrogen made from the ample solar and wind power in the region, and produce e-methanol. MI member and technology leader Topsoe can bring standardized, modular e-methanol plants to an ethanol facility, and with electrolyzers from Worley, can turn that CO2 into 600 tons of e-methanol per day. Much of the ethanol produced in the Midwest gets put on trains and heads East, West and South for gasoline blending markets. Add a couple more railcars, fill them with e-methanol, and move to ports along the coasts to fuel ships instead of cars. Create value-added products for the portfolio of local ethanol plants, utilize existing distribution infrastructure, and provide the ethanol industry with a whole new future fuels market segment. Win, win, win! Andrew Fenwick Roman M. Estrada https://lnkd.in/edgKbdsH