Materials for global carbon dioxide recycling

CO2 emissions, which induce global warming, increase with the development of economic activity. It is impossible to decrease the CO2 emissions by suppression of the economic activity. Global CO2 recycling can solve this problem. The global CO2 recycling consists of three district: The electricity is generated by solar cells on deserts. At desert coasts, the electricity is used for H-2 production by seawater electrolysis and H-2 is used for CH4 production by the reaction with CO2 CH4 which is the main component of liquefied natural gas is liquefied and transported to energy consuming districts where CO2 is recovered, liquefied and transported to the desert coasts. A CO2 recycling plant for substantiation of our idea has been built on the roof of the Institute for Materials Research in 1996. Key materials necessary for the global CO2 recycling are the anode and cathode for seawater electrolysis and the catalyst for CO2 conversion. All or them have been tailored by us. They have very high activity and selectivity for necessary reactions in addition to excellent durability. A pilot plant consisting of minimum units in an industrial scale is going to be built in three years. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.