Gasification and the Future

Abstract

The future of gasification is related with the future of energy and energy policy. The use of hydrogen in combination with fuel cells as a transport fuel will improve the microclimate of conurbations significantly through the elimination of CO 2 , NO X , CO, hydrocarbon, and soot emissions from motor vehicles—and this is a prospect that could become reality within the next 20 years. There are essentially three routes to hydrogen production—electrolysis of water, steam reforming of natural gas, and gasification—whereby the fuel for the gasification can be anything from coal to biomass. It has to be recognized that, with the possible exception of nuclear energy, no CO 2 -free power-generation technology is available in the medium term that can produce hydrogen in the quantities required to supply transport needs. In the transition between fossil fuels and a fully “sustainable world,” gasification can play an important role. First, in the move towards a hydrogen economy, it can be expected that hydrogen will be produced directly from fossil fuels rather than by electrolysis. Second, gasification is a key technology for more efficient power generation from coal and heavy oils with the best environmental performance. Third, gasification provides the best option for producing concentrated carbon dioxide streams that may have to be sequestered during the transition in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.