Is hydrogen production through natural gas pyrolysis compatible with ambitious climate targets in the United States? A location-specific, time-resolved analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15550828 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martin Keller (0000-0003-4583-9654, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 124017-124017 |
| Publication date | 2022-11-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Research Letters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326 |
| Publisher | IOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/aca553 |
| OpenAlex | W4309928381 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 32 |
Pyrolysis of natural gas to produce H 2 and solid carbon through methane cracking can be characterized as a high-CH 4 , low-CO 2 process. It results in low CO 2 emissions because no direct CO 2 is generated at the point of H 2 generation if solid carbon is not combusted further. However, it results in high CH 4 emissions because of its higher natural gas consumption compared to the direct use of natural gas and, thus, higher CH 4 losses along the natural gas supply chain. Here, I analyzed whether this process can provide climate benefit in comparison to the direct, unabated utilization of natural gas and also in comparison with H 2 produced from water electrolysis with grid electricity. To this end, Monte Carlo simulations of time-resolved and US state-specific emission profiles and their impact on mid-century global warming under different CH 4 mitigation scenarios were conducted. It was found that the climate benefit of natural gas pyrolysis is highly dependent on plant location and the speed at which CH 4 emissions can be abated. New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio emerged as the most promising locations. This is because of their projected long reliance on natural gas for power generation, which renders electrolysis using grid electricity less attractive, as well as the relatively low estimate of current CH 4 emissions from the natural gas supply chain. However, without fast action on CH 4 emission mitigation, the climate benefit of natural gas pyrolysis is small or non-existent, irrespective of the plant location. Overall, the uncertainty in the relative climate benefit of natural gas pyrolysis was found to be large; however, this study developed an easy-to-adapt MS Excel/visual basic for applications (VBA) tool that can be updated as soon as more accurate data on CH 4 emissions becomes available. Policymakers, businesspeople, and scholars can use this tool to estimate the climate impact within their own scenarios and locations
Combustion · Electricity · Electricity generation · Fuel gas · Greenhouse gas · Methane · Natural gas · Power (physics · Pyrolysis · Renewable natural gas · Waste management · Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics · Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies · Chemistry · Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies · Engineering · Environmental Science · Environmental Engineering
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| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |