Options and potential for using biogenic CO₂ to produce electricity-based renewable energy sources

Authors: Daniel Münter, Horst Fehrenbach, Thomas Fröhlich

The phase-out of fossil fuels is the basis for a greenhouse gas-neutral (net) future, as even the use of fossil CO₂ is always associated with additional emissions. This raises the question of where the carbon that we will still need in the future, albeit to a much lesser extent, will come from. The use of cultivated biomass is not a sustainable alternative due to the amount of land required and the change in land use. Can residual and waste materials from biomass be this source of carbon, and how should they be classified?

This interim report from the research project: Criteria for the sustainable provision and climate-friendly integration of electricity-based energy sources addresses this question. First, data on global residue potentials from literature sources are summarised. Subsequently, the CO₂ requirements of technical processes for the production of hydrogen derivatives are examined. Finally, a qualitative sustainability assessment of the CO₂ point sources under consideration is carried out and a comparison of global potential and global demand is made.