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Déborah Chery, Virginie Lair and Michel Cassir*

Keywords: CO2 valorization, electrolysis, molten carbonates, carbon monoxide, carbon

Global warming due to rising levels of greenhouse effect gases, such as atmospheric carbon dioxide, and energy consumption are the major challenges in the energetic field. Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions is a key issue but not the only one; thus, it is becoming compulsory to capture and reuse this gas in an efficient mode as a new source of fuels. There are different approaches to this stimulating problem.

Some Facts

Carbon dioxide is in the heart of fundamental processes over millions of years on Earth. It allows stocking solar energy through synthesis, and it is a key molecule for producing fossil fuels and, thus, it is an indicator of the consumption of energy from fossil fuels. Of course, the negative effect of CO2 in the atmosphere is dramatic and contributes to a significant increase in the temperature of our planet, which is becoming alarming. Concentration of this gas is nowadays increasing by more than 2 ppm per year, reaching 400 ppm against 280 ppm in the preindustrial era. The challenge is to store and to transform the CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels along with a better understanding of the physicochemical properties and behavior of CO2. This would be an extraordinary input in the development of sustainable energy.

Key Molecule in a New Energetic Economy

Carbon capture and storage (Sequestration) (CCS) is a potential method to allow the continued use of fossil-fueled power stations while preventing emissions of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere.