Abstract
Innovative and sustainable energy technologies are needed in the transition of energy toward a circular economy. Because of the use of renewable energy and carbon utilization, power-to-gas could be a cutting-edge technology that supports the circular model in future sustainable energy markets. However, this technology faces new technical and socio-economic challenges. The use of power-to-gas is limited because of barriers that limit the mobilization of investment capital. In addition, social and economic impacts on the territories in which these facilities are located are under study. In this context, the aims of this paper are: (i) To explore the determinants and barriers for power-to-gas technology to enhance the understanding of investment in innovative energy technologies; and (ii) to support effective policymaking and energy companies’ decision-making processes. This study defines and measures, from a circular economy perspective, the main impacts of the deployment of this technology on a territory in terms of volume of investment, employment generation, and CO2 capture. The study also provides a simplified methodology to contribute to the analysis of the use of power-to-gas. Finally, it improves the knowledge of the socio-economic impact of this cutting-edge technology for the transition of energy to a zero-emission scenario.
Highlights
In contrast to the current model of linear production, the circular economy (CE) implies the implementation of a circular model that limits resource intensity and reduces the environmental impact of consumption and production processes. [1]
As a general remark from the analysis of the potential incentives to PtG, we find that the relevance of economic barriers related to investment would be reduced if we considered the PtG process as a new concept of CO2 hybrid storage based on renewables
We analyze the determinants and barriers for PtG systems to enhance the understanding of the investment in innovative energy technologies and to support effective policymaking in an energy transition scenario
Summary
In contrast to the current model of linear production, the circular economy (CE) implies the implementation of a circular model that limits resource intensity and reduces the environmental impact of consumption and production processes. [1]. The use of renewables is one of the main principles of a CE [5] because it allows a considerable reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels [6,7] It is well-accepted that one of the most important factors for moving toward a circular model is the shift from conventional energy sources to renewables [4,8]. PtG refers to the production of hydrogen (power-to-hydrogen) through water electrolysis or its subsequent conversion to methane (power-to-methane) with CO2 from different sources. These processes, originally developed in Germany, convert electricity into synthetic natural gas [11,22]. We opted to analyze the main barriers and incentives to PtG and its impacts, via the emerging body of literature on the subject and by analyzing other renewable-related topics, because PtG systems are integrated in different energy technologies
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