Reaching carbon neutrality requires ground-breaking innovations that change the way humans produce goods and live their lives. Scientific and technological advancement is at the center of ensuring economic development while also continuing decarbonization. Identifying and maturing cutting-edge technologies is an indispensable part of this process.
CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) technology is capable of generating a new recycling path for elemental carbon into and out of the atmosphere. By doing so, societies can significantly alleviate economic dependence on fossil fuel resources, thus providing significant indirect emission reduction potential. These methods will play an important role toward achieving carbon neutrality using best practices.
Prof. WEI Wei, Prof. SUN Nannan, and Ph. D student ZHANG Lingyun from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences authored a
review paper entitled "Frontiers of CO
2 Capture and Utilization (CCU) towards Carbon Neutrality" published within
Advances in Atmospheric Sciences'
special issue on carbon neutrality.
The team presented research progress, future perspectives, and carbon neutrality contributions from four brand new CCU technologies. Highlighted methods include: direct carbon capture from air, using flexible materials for CO2 adsorption, integrated CO2 capture and conversion, and electro-catalytic conversion of CO2.
The role of CCU. (Image by SUN Nannan)
"Cutting-edge CCU technologies are indispensable for the deep decarbonization of chemical and material manufacturing." said WEI. "The formation of a new carbon recycling structure via these technologies is also significant to China's ecological civilization construction and high-quality carbon neutralization."
WEI has a rich history in greenhouse gas reduction research. He is one of the leading authors for "Roadmap for carbon capture, utilization and storage technology development in China" (Editions 2011 and 2019) and "Assessment of carbon utilization technologies in China," among many other prominent papers in decarbonization studies.
Reference:
Zhang, L. Y., Y. F. Song, J. L. Shi, Q. Shen, D. Hu, Q. Gao, W. Chen, K. W. Kow, C. H. Pang, N. N. Sun, and W. Wei. 2022: Frontiers of CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) towards carbon neutrality. Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-022-1467-x.
Media contact: Ms. LIN Zheng, jennylin@mail.iap.ac.cn
