Producing clean energy by photochemical conversion of CO2

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Experts call for a shift in approach to developing solar energy. “When it comes to solar energy, the commonly recognized method of utilization is photovoltaic power generation.” In fact, our country has always overlooked another important aspect of solar energy utilization, which is the use of catalysts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels or other useful chemicals. ”On March 12, Li Can, director of the Key Laboratory of Catalyst Removal at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with journalists that the photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide represents a truly clean and low-carbon way of utilizing energy. Currently, Europe, the United States, and Japan all attach great importance to this approach, but China does not provide sufficient support, which may result in China being dependent on others in the future. In recent years, our country has paid sufficient attention to photovoltaic power generation, and significant progress has been made in its industrial production. However, power generation costs and grid connection issues have always been obstacles to entering the domestic market. **Zhang Guobao, former head of the Energy Administration, explained that the feed-in tariff for photovoltaic power generation in China is 1.15 yuan per unit, which is much higher than that for hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power; it is even higher compared to wind power as well. “However, the method I propose for storing solar energy as chemical energy using chemical processes involves light energy and carbon dioxide, both of which are cost-free and abundant; once industrialized, the costs will surely be competitive with those of fossil fuel alternatives. ”Li Can said. The chemical conversion of carbon dioxide using solar energy is not only an ideal way to utilize and store solar energy, but it can also make a revolutionary contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions in our country. Niu Wenyuan, a counselor to the State Council, head of the Sustainable Development Strategy Research Group at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a top scientist, told the media recently that globally, about 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted each year; half of this can be absorbed by forests or oceans, while the other half ends up directly in the atmosphere. According to reports by journalists, in order to fulfill China’s commitments to the international community regarding carbon dioxide emission reduction, the country is not only making great efforts to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels but is also actively developing comprehensive utilization methods for carbon dioxide. “Many current methods of utilizing carbon dioxide only provide temporary solutions rather than addressing the root cause. ”Li Can said, “For example, when carbon dioxide is captured and buried deep underground, the amount of carbon dioxide actually doesn’t decrease, and it can even be very dangerous in such situations.” ； Another example is the use of carbon dioxide to produce chemicals such as polymers; the amount consumed is so small that it’s negligible compared to the volume of carbon dioxide emissions ； It has also been suggested that carbon dioxide can be reduced using hydrogen, but where does the hydrogen come from? It still relies on fossil fuels. None of these can fundamentally solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions. However, once the photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide is industrialized, it is theoretically possible to convert all carbon dioxide. ” Li Can told reporters that Japan, the United States, and Europe are all increasing their investment in research and development in this area. Japan is generally at the forefront in this field; since the 1970s and 1980s, it has encouraged many companies to engage in this area. Research and development in laboratories have now yielded fruitful results, with the goal of moving towards industrialization. At present, natural gas is the best utilized in Japan, along with small amounts of methanol and ethanol. The United States has renewed its focus on this field since the beginning of this century; recently, it established the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), which brings together top scientists from various fields at Caltech, the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence** Laboratory to work on solving the technical challenge of converting carbon dioxide using solar energy. European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland also attach great importance to research in this field, and are at the international forefront in the fundamental theoretical studies of photochemical conversion. “At present, only the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a few universities in our country have limited resources dedicated to research in this area. Since it has not yet received **attention, nor is there strong financial support for research. ”Li Can said. Li Can called for strategic planning at the ** level, the establishment of special programs by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the encouragement of collaboration among teams engaged in basic research, applied research, and industrialization efforts to tackle these challenges. “In fact, in terms of photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light range, there is not much difference between China and Japan at present, leaving room for innovative development. If we don’t pay attention now, once others gain control of it in the future, we will be in a very passive position. This is not like ordinary chemical engineering technologies that can be acquired through licensing; it is related to **future energy strategies**. It is hoped that our country will seize the opportunity in this cutting-edge field to achieve truly low-carbon and carbon-free development in the future. ”Li Can said.