Comments on: Electricity From CO2 — New Technique

By: Martin Vermeer

Martin Vermeer — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 08:21:00 +0000

I’m not sure this is a good idea… if I have understood the idea correctly, it means extracting the very energy that would have to be supplied for pulling down CO2 from the ambient air (as opposed to using power-plant smokestacks) in preparation for underground sequestration. Right?

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 22:51:00 +0000

At 4.5 mW a square meter it would take about half a million square meters of surface area to collect enough wattage to run the heating element in my oven. Think I’ll stick to solar cells.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:08:00 +0000

Exactly, all these schemes to use the concentrated CO2 stream from fossil fuel plants will make it harder to close those plants.

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:41:00 +0000

Is the technology helpful? It would make fossil-burning power stations more efficient overall, and reduce the CO2 per kwh of fossil electricity. On the other hand, it will prolong their economic life and slow down the clean energy transition. Development is not a priority.

By: Marion Meads

Marion Meads — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:52:00 +0000

They have calculated an energy efficiency of 24% to 32%. What is the basis of this efficiency? Clearly we know the output is electricity, and it is 24% of what input energy? What is the input or the main energy source? Has the energy costs for pumping water and bubbling the air also been accounted for?