Nobel laureates advocate using carbon dioxide to produce methanol

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Solar energy, wind energy, nuclear energy – to achieve sustainable development for humanity, apart from vigorously developing new energy sources, what else can be done within the existing energy structure? Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Carlo Rubbia suggested adopting the latest international technologies for carbon dioxide reuse. At the high-level forum of the 2009 China International Energy Conservation, Emission Reduction and New Energy Technology Expo, held on the 19th, Carlo Rubbia explained that among the greenhouse gases emitted by humanity today, carbon dioxide accounts for the largest proportion. As it is a substance with low chemical potential energy, it is generally handled by capturing it and then sequestering it. But now, scientists are looking at using it to react with hydrogen to produce methanol. Methanol itself is an energy source; when it reacts with other substances, it produces ethylene, which serves as a raw material for industry. In 2008, Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced that it would invest $13.6 million in building a pilot plant for converting carbon dioxide into methanol, thereby enabling the production of basic petrochemical products from methanol while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This will be the world’s first facility to convert carbon dioxide into methanol, thus turning the \"methanol economy\" concept proposed by Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner George A. OLAH from a theory into reality. Jin Yong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University, told reporters that the challenge with this technology lies in the handling of hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is very difficult to produce because its molecular volume is extremely small, and when it mixes with oxygen in a certain proportion, it can explode upon contact with a spark. Jin Yong said that due to these properties, from a technical standpoint, hydrogen can only be obtained by electrolyzing water, so that it can react with carbon dioxide immediately. At present, there are still some technical issues to be resolved regarding the large-scale production of water by electrolysis. Furthermore, the more critical issue is cost; large-scale water electrolysis consumes a tremendous amount of electricity. Jin Yong believes that after the large-scale development of new energy sources such as wind and nuclear power, cheaper electricity should be used for water electrolysis. Therefore, the reuse of carbon dioxide also depends to some extent on the development of new energy sources. Carlo Rubbia said that the future of humanity depends to a large extent on affordable and abundant renewable energy. Jin Yong also stated that research on the recovery and reuse of greenhouse gases holds significant positive implications for the sustainable development of human society. Therefore, it should be given due attention domestically, and decisions should not be made based on short-term economic benefits. http://www.16ds.com/papers/49/topics/7698