Energy crisis in Europe enhances the sustainability of green chemicals.

Autor: Nabera, Abhinandan, Istrate, Ioan-Robert, Martín, Antonio José, Pérez-Ramírez, Javier, Guillén-Gosálbez, Gonzalo
Předmět:
Zdroj: Green Chemistry; 9/7/2023, Vol. 25 Issue 17, p6603-6611, 9p
Abstrakt: Ammonia and methanol are essential to modern societies, but their production has been heavily reliant on natural gas, which contributes to supply disruptions and significant CO2 emissions. While low-carbon or green production routes have been extensively researched, their adoption has been hindered by higher costs, making them unsustainable. However, a recent energy crisis in Europe has created a unique opportunity to shift towards greener production technologies. Here we show that, green ammonia, produced through wind-powered water electrolysis, had the potential to outperform its fossil counterpart for six months as of December 2021, while methanol produced through CO2 capture and wind-based water electrolysis became an economically appealing alternative. With a coordinated effort from academia, industry, and policymakers, Europe can lead the grand transition towards more sustainable practices in the chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index