Using photochemical conversion of CO2 to produce clean energy

"Speaking of solar energy, we all recognize the use of photovoltaic power generation. In fact, China has always ignored another important direction of solar energy utilization, that is, the use of catalysts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction into fuel or other useful chemicals."3 On the 12th of the month, Li Can, director of the National Laboratory of Catalysts of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in an exclusive interview with reporters that photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide is a truly clean and low-carbon way of energy utilization. We attach importance to this direction, but our support is not enough. In the future, it may be subject to people.

In recent years, China has given sufficient attention to photovoltaic power generation and made great progress in industrial production. However, the issue of power generation costs and grid connection has always been an obstacle to opening the domestic market. According to Zhang Guobao, former director of the National Energy Administration, the on-grid electricity price for photovoltaic power generation in China is 1.15 yuan, which is much higher than that of hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power. Even compared with wind power, prices are high.

"However, I proposed using chemical methods to store solar energy as chemical energy, using light energy and carbon dioxide at zero cost and with sufficient resources. After the industrialization, the cost must be able to compete with fossil fuels," said Li Can.

Solar chemical conversion of carbon dioxide is not only an ideal way to use and store solar energy, but also can make a revolutionary contribution to China's carbon dioxide emission reduction.

Niu Wenyuan, the counselor of the State Council’s counselor and leader of the Sustainable Development Strategic Research Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the media a few days ago that the annual global carbon dioxide emissions are about 30 billion tons, half of which can be fixed by forests or oceans, and the other half. Directly into the atmosphere. According to the reporter’s understanding, in order to deliver on the commitment China has made to the international community to reduce CO2 emissions, China is not only making efforts to save fossil energy consumption, but is also actively developing the comprehensive utilization of carbon dioxide.

"Now many ways to use carbon dioxide are a temporary solution," said Li Can. "For example, capturing carbon dioxide and burying it underground, the carbon dioxide is not actually reduced, and it is very dangerous to encounter an earthquake. Another example is the use of carbon dioxide. The production of polymers, such as polymers, is too small, and is a fraction of carbon dioxide emissions. It has also been suggested that carbon dioxide can be reduced with hydrogen, but where hydrogen comes from, it still depends on fossil energy. To solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions, but once the photochemical conversion of carbon dioxide is industrialized, it can theoretically convert all of the carbon dioxide."

Li Chan told reporters that at present, Japan, the United States, and Europe are increasing their investment in R&D in this direction. Japan is in a leading position in this field as a whole. Since the 1970s and 1980s, many companies have been organized to invest in this field. Laboratory R&D has been effective and the goal is industrialization. At present, Japan is the best converted natural gas, there is a small amount of methanol, ethanol.

From the beginning of this century, the United States re-emphasized this area. Recently, the Joint Photosynthesis Research Center (JCAP) was launched. The California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence National Laboratory jointly organized first-class scientists in many fields to focus on solar energy transformation. Carbon dioxide is a technological problem. European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland also attach great importance to the research in this field. They have taken the lead in the research on the basic theory of photo-chemical conversion. “China currently has only scattered forces in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and several universities doing research in this area. Because it has not received the attention of the state, there is no strong scientific research funding support.” Li said.

Li Can called for strategic deployment from the national level, setting up major special projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and guiding the basic research, applied research, and industrialization team to jointly tackle the problem.

“Actually, in terms of photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light region, there is not much difference between China and Japan at present, and there are opportunities for innovation and development. If we do not pay attention now, we will become very passive once we have mastered it in the future. Unlike ordinary chemical technology, which can be bought through transfer, it is related to the nation’s future energy strategy. We hope that China will lose no opportunity in this frontier area and will truly realize low-carbon and carbon-free development in the future,” said Li Can.