SPURRING INITIAL ZERO CARBON ELECTRICITY - ACCELERATING ENERGY TRANSITION
2024/08/05
Academia SinicaMethane Pyrolysis to Power (MPTP）
Currently, 50% of Taiwan's carbon emissions come from the generation of electricity. As a result, the development of more environmentally-friendly low-carbon electricity (presently recognized by the European Union to be 0.270 kg CO2e/kWh) or zero-carbon electricity is considered by the team at Academia Sinica to be a crucial key to success for achieving carbon reduction and net-zero goals. All fossil fuel power generation emits carbon dioxide, requiring reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to achieve carbon reduction goals. Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative low-carbon or zero-carbon power generation technologies to replace the large and stable baseload power generation being used currently.
The solution developed by Academia Sinica integrates the "transformation process of natural gas power
generation" with "innovative hydrogen energy generation technology." The "innovative hydrogen energy generation technology" introduces methane pyrolysis technology to achieve methane decarbonization, extracting zero carbon (green) hydrogen and solid carbon for reuse. For example, hydrogen can be used to generate power
through hydrogen combustion. In the initial application stage, a mixed hydrogen combustion power generation
mode can be adopted to replace a certain proportion of natural gas directly as a decarbonization solution. After
2030, when full hydrogen turbine power generation technology matures, it can be permanently transitioned
to full hydrogen combustion power generation.
According to the current research data, "Methane Pyrolysis to Power" is expected to have several advantages: a net energy output six times the input energy, meeting the EU's temporary low-carbon energy standard when the cracking rate reaches 25%; the input energy is only 1/7 of the energy consumed by electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen for power generation; the output zero-carbon electricity is three times the input electricity; and there is no need to increase hydrogen gas transportation and storage facilities or make significant changes to natural gas power plant configurations. The cracking ratio can be gradually increased in stages to match the development of gas turbine generators.
Academia Sinica has collaborated with Taiwan Power Company to connect a 65 kW natural gas generator set with a methane pyrolysis to power unit for a 10% hydrogen blend power generation
experiment, hoping to gradually expand its application to commercial generator sets.