The production of renewable energy in the form of methane using electrolytic hydrogen generation

Abstract

An extrapolation of the world energy consumption from 1990 to 2010 indicates a complete exhaustion of the world reserves of oil, natural gas, uranium, and coal by 2043, 2047, 2051, and 2055, respectively. For the survival of all people in the whole world, intermittent and fluctuating electricity generated from renewable energy should be supplied in the form of usable fuel. We have been working on research and development of global CO2 recycling for the use of renewable energy produced via electrolytic hydrogen generation in the form of methane. We created energy-saving cathodes for H2 production, anodes for O2 evolution without chlorine formation in seawater electrolysis, and catalysts for methanation of CO2 by the reaction with H2, and built pilot plants on an industrial scale. The development of new anode and cathode for alkali water electrolysis, the improvement of the anode for seawater electrolysis and the catalysts for CO2 methanation, as well as industrial applications are in progress.