1
1
Introduction
The energy and fuel landscape is changing faster than ever. We need energy and
fuels for heat, power, electricity, and transportation. Generally, the major sources of
raw fuels are oil, natural gas, coal, biomass, waste, and uranium. These raw fuels
can provide either chemical or nuclear energy to generate power or raw materials
for synthetic fuels and a host of chemicals and materials. Other major sources of
energy for power production are solar, wind, geothermal, and water. Together, these
10 sources satisfy our needs for raw energy and fuels for residential, industrial, and
transportation purposes. They also provide raw materials for important chemicals
and materials.
The term “synthetic fuels,” or “synfuels,” generally refers to hydrogen, syngas
(a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), methane, or a mixture of methane
with other hydrocarbon gases, liquid alkanes (such as gasoline, diesel fuel, heating
oil, jet fuel, naphtha, alcohols, biocrudes, and many other chemical additives), and
intermediates as well as refined solid fuels (such as refined coal or oil shale, hydrochar, and biochars) that are all capable of direct use (as a source of chemical energy)
to provide heat, electricity, or a source of energy for transportation purposes. These
synthetic fuels also allow the storage of energy for an extended period of time.
1.1 GlOBal enerGy landsCaPe: Past, Present, and FUtUre
In the twenty-first century, the energy industry is forced to diversify to address
the three issues: (1) depletion of worldwide oil productions and reserves as well as
refining capacity, (2) a stronger global demand for energy due to increased needs
by China, India, and other developing nations, and (3) the effect of carbon emissions (in the form of volatile hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide) on global warming
and climate change. During the last two decades, along with further expansion of
clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal, the development of renewable biomass energy (often called “bioenergy”) has increased its
momentum. Unlike fossil energy, bioenergy is proven to be carbon neutral because
of the use of carbon dioxide by plants for photosynthesis. Renewable and carbonfree energy sources such as nuclear, solar, wind, and hydroelectric have also gained
significant momentum due to push on “green energy.”
Today, the power and fuel need is supplied by five separate types of energy industry. The largest supplier of power and fuel (>85%) is still “fossil energy,” which is
organic hydrocarbon based, and the fossil energy industry is attempting to reduce
carbon emissions to the environment and its effect on global climate change. In this
regard, more and more coal-based power plants are being replaced by the power
plants that use the natural gas. In general, natural gas is more environmentally
friendly than coal. The supply of natural gas is increasing because of the success
1
Introduction
The energy and fuel landscape is changing faster than ever. We need energy and
fuels for heat, power, electricity, and transportation. Generally, the major sources of
raw fuels are oil, natural gas, coal, biomass, waste, and uranium. These raw fuels
can provide either chemical or nuclear energy to generate power or raw materials
for synthetic fuels and a host of chemicals and materials. Other major sources of
energy for power production are solar, wind, geothermal, and water. Together, these
10 sources satisfy our needs for raw energy and fuels for residential, industrial, and
transportation purposes. They also provide raw materials for important chemicals
and materials.
The term “synthetic fuels,” or “synfuels,” generally refers to hydrogen, syngas
(a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), methane, or a mixture of methane
with other hydrocarbon gases, liquid alkanes (such as gasoline, diesel fuel, heating
oil, jet fuel, naphtha, alcohols, biocrudes, and many other chemical additives), and
intermediates as well as refined solid fuels (such as refined coal or oil shale, hydrochar, and biochars) that are all capable of direct use (as a source of chemical energy)
to provide heat, electricity, or a source of energy for transportation purposes. These
synthetic fuels also allow the storage of energy for an extended period of time.
1.1 GlOBal enerGy landsCaPe: Past, Present, and FUtUre
In the twenty-first century, the energy industry is forced to diversify to address
the three issues: (1) depletion of worldwide oil productions and reserves as well as
refining capacity, (2) a stronger global demand for energy due to increased needs
by China, India, and other developing nations, and (3) the effect of carbon emissions (in the form of volatile hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide) on global warming
and climate change. During the last two decades, along with further expansion of
clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal, the development of renewable biomass energy (often called “bioenergy”) has increased its
momentum. Unlike fossil energy, bioenergy is proven to be carbon neutral because
of the use of carbon dioxide by plants for photosynthesis. Renewable and carbonfree energy sources such as nuclear, solar, wind, and hydroelectric have also gained
significant momentum due to push on “green energy.”
Today, the power and fuel need is supplied by five separate types of energy industry. The largest supplier of power and fuel (>85%) is still “fossil energy,” which is
organic hydrocarbon based, and the fossil energy industry is attempting to reduce
carbon emissions to the environment and its effect on global climate change. In this
regard, more and more coal-based power plants are being replaced by the power
plants that use the natural gas. In general, natural gas is more environmentally
friendly than coal. The supply of natural gas is increasing because of the success