Premium
Investigation of Carbon Flows in Switzerland with the Special Consideration of Carbon Dioxide as a Feedstock for Sustainable Energy Carriers
Author(s) -
Meier Boris,
Ruoss Fabian,
Friedl Markus
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
energy technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 2194-4296
pISSN - 2194-4288
DOI - 10.1002/ente.201600554
Subject(s) - renewable energy , fossil fuel , bio energy with carbon capture and storage , environmental science , renewable fuels , negative carbon dioxide emission , carbon neutral fuel , carbon neutrality , raw material , biomass (ecology) , greenhouse gas , carbon sequestration , carbon fibers , energy carrier , carbon dioxide , waste management , hydrogen , engineering , chemistry , ecology , materials science , syngas , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material , electrical engineering , biology
The substitution of fossil energy carriers by renewable hydrocarbons is a promising measure to reduce net CO 2 emissions. The production of renewable hydrocarbons requires hydrogen and carbon. Although hydrogen is easily accessible, the finding of optimal carbon sources requires an understanding of natural and anthropogenic carbon flows. However, there is no overview on the entire carbon flows in Switzerland yet. Although the potential of carbon from biomass is well known, it is unknown whether CO 2 is the limiting factor for the production of renewable synthetic fuels. In a comprehensive analysis, 57 carbon paths within Switzerland and across its borders are identified. The carbon flows are quantified for 2013 and illustrated in a Sankey diagram. The diagram is universal and may be applied to other countries in this form. From this analysis, optimal carbon sources for renewable fuels are found. The question is discussed of whether CO 2 for synthetic renewable fuels may also originate from nonbiogenic sources. Optimal carbon sources are either biomass or CO 2 from incineration plants or cement‐manufacturing plants. If all accessible CO 2 from these plants was used for the production of CH 4 , 43 % of Switzerland's road transportation could be powered with only a very low net CO 2 emission if the electric power originates from renewable sources. The limiting factor for the production of synthetic fuel is renewable electrical energy rather than CO 2 . We propose that the origin of CO 2 does not affect the sustainability of the synthetic fuel but the origin of the electric power does.