6.6C Radical technologies

• Carbon Capture and Storage

  • It is accepted that coal will always be part of the global energy mix due to its abundance and its cheap cost
  • Carbon capture and storage involves ‘capturing’ the carbon dioxide released and burying it deep underground

  
• Problems with carbon capture and storage:

  • It is expensive because of the advanced technology required
  • No one can be sure that the carbon dioxide will stay underground and that it will not leak to the surface and enter the atmosphere
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells

  • Hydrogen is a chemically simple and abundant element but it does not occur naturally as a gas, it is always combined with other elements e.g., oxygen in water
  • Currently, most hydrogen is extracted from other forms of fuel e.g., oil and natural gas
  • Hydrogen is high in energy and an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces next to no pollution
• • A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water
  • A fuel cell will provide electricity as long as hydrogen is supplied and it will never lose its charge
  • Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as:
  • A source of heat and electricity for buildings
  • A power source for electric vehicles
  • Hydrogen fuel cells are considered to be one of the best strategies for reducing carbon emissions that has very little impact on the carbon cycle