Zero-carbon fuels are key to reducing emissions
Fossil fuels currently supply more than 80% of the world’s energy and account for the bulk of the world’s carbon emissions. Despite successful efforts to expand low- and zero-carbon electricity, studies predict that fuels will still serve a quarter of the world’s energy needs by midcentury.
CATF aims to accelerate the development of zero-carbon fuels, specifically hydrogen and ammonia, to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury. Sign up to receive the latest content updates.
What are zero-carbon fuels?
Zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen (H₂) and ammonia (NH₃) are energy carriers that can be produced with little to no greenhouse gas emissions. Because they do not contain carbon atoms, they emit no carbon dioxide when consumed.
While electrification combined with the expansion of low- and zero-carbon electricity resources are a key strategy for decarbonizing the global economy, there are some sectors that are difficult or impossible to electrify. These sectors include heavy transportation, heavy industry, and marine shipping.
Cost-effective zero-carbon fuels could replace the conventional fuels used in these sectors, playing an essential role in eliminating greenhouse emissions and moving forward the clean energy transition.
Why do we need zero-carbon fuels?
Today, most of the world’s energy supply comes from fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas. Because these fossil fuels are responsible for 80% of the carbon emissions damaging our atmosphere, substituting them with zero-carbon fuels could help reduce harmful pollution.
The primary decarbonization strategy has been to expand the supply of electricity from renewable power like wind and solar energy, but there are land and infrastructure constraints Hydrogen and ammonia can complement that strategy where electrification may not be possible. The good news is these fuels can be always available, they are energy-dense, and can be compatible with existing networks. In addition, their production can be scaled up to become cost-competitive with fossil fuels.
What are the benefits of zero-carbon fuels?
Zero-carbon fuels could be particularly advantageous in key sectors that are responsible for a significant portion of carbon emissions, and that are difficult or impossible to electrify.
These sectors of the economy include freight transportation, industrial processes for cement and steel, and heat for buildings. Zero-carbon fuels can provide the high temperatures and/or ability to travel long distances as needed.
CATF has prioritized six specific sectors as critical for deep decarbonization of the economy:
*1 quadrillion Btu or Quad = equivalent to 1% of U.S. annual energy consumption
1. Heavy Trucking
- Annual global consumption: 25 quads* of fuel
- Annual global emissions: 2.4 billion tons
- Likely zero-carbon fuel option: hydrogen
2. Marine Shipping
- Annual global consumption: 9 quads of fuel
- Annual global emissions: 1 billion tons
- Likely zero-carbon fuel option: ammonia
3. Aviation Fuels
- Annual global consumption: 13 quads of fuel
- Annual global emissions: 1 billion tons
- Likely zero-carbon fuel option: synthetic kerosene
4. Industrial Process Heating
- Annual global consumption: 200 quads of fuel (more fossil fuel globally than all transportation combined)
- Likely zero-carbon fuel option: hydrogen
5. Ironmaking
- Annual global emissions: 3 billion tons
- Likely zero-carbon fuel option: hydrogen
6. Power System Balancing
Zero-carbon fuel option: Hydrogen could be a key technique for storing excess renewable energy generation as fuel, and providing that energy when renewable resources cannot meet demand on their own.
Our Approach
At CATF, we’re applying a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to help decarbonize heavy transportation and industrial processes, providing rigorous analysis, public policy design, public education and advocacy, innovation initiatives, and the promotion of demonstration projects such as hydrogen hubs.
Our goal? Address the climate challenge and identify all possible zero-carbon solutions that are scientifically proven and free from divisive ideology. We are driven by scale, space and cost, and we engage with technology developers, customers, and policymakers to accelerate and streamline the development and deployment of these urgently needed climate solutions.
Read more about CATF’s impact on zero-carbon fuels.
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Key facts and misconceptions about
zero-carbon fuels
How are zero-carbon fuels produced?
Today, most hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels at facilities that lack emissions controls for carbon dioxide and methane. But cleaner production technologies are both available and worthy of further investment. Hydrogen can be produced in multiple ways to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from its production. One method is by electrolyzers powered by zero-carbon electricity like renewable energy or nuclear power. Alternately, hydrogen can be made at facilities equipped with carbon capture and sequestration systems and that use abated natural gas sourced from producers with strong systems in place for detecting and eliminating methane venting, flaring, and leakage from gas production, and transport infrastructure to minimize upstream methane emissions.
What is the difference between zero-carbon, net-zero, and carbon-neutral?
Zero-carbon is an adjective that refers to a fuel or energy source that either lacks a carbon molecule in its chemical composition, or emits no carbon dioxide at its point of use. Carbon-neutral refers to processes in which the amount of carbon dioxide emitted does not exceed the amount of carbon dioxide removed. Net-zero is similar to the concept of carbon neutral, and is often used to refer to broader systems whose climate impact can be balanced between greenhouse gas emissions and emissions offsets (like carbon capture or carbon removal).
What makes hydrogen and ammonia zero-carbon fuels?
On a chemical level, a zero-carbon fuel doesn’t have any carbon atoms. A hydrogen molecule, for example, just contains two bonded hydrogen atoms. Ammonia molecules are made up of a nitrogen atom bonded with three hydrogen atoms. Consequently, when hydrogen or ammonia is burned in an engine to make energy, no carbon dioxide is emitted.
Is hydrogen energy clean?
Because hydrogen (H₂) and ammonia (NH₃) are energy carriers that can be produced with little to no greenhouse gas emissions, they can be climate-beneficial fuels that help us reach our global emission reduction goals. They do not contain carbon atoms, so they do not emit carbon dioxide when used to make energy in engines, fuel cells, and other equipment. Decisions made throughout the value chain – from production to transportation and storage to end-use by consumers – will dictate their overall climate impact.
What is a zero-carbon future?
A zero-carbon future is a future in which we are meeting growing global energy demand without damaging the atmosphere with greenhouse gas emissions. This future will rely on a combination of zero-carbon electricity, zero-carbon fuels, energy storage, and carbon management (like carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration).
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