Strategies for Sustainable fuel
use and CO2 reduction.
Dr. Paul A. Comet
Environmental Consultant
Integrated System
A sequence of fuel use
• Coal, oil, nuclear (present)
• 1st generation biofuels : palm oil, alcohol ,
frying oil
• 2nd generation : cellulosic ethanol, sewer &
landfill gas.
• 3rd generation : algae, hydrogen, biomass
pyrolysate, syngas, fischer tropsch diesel.
Hydrogen can be obtained by;
• 1: Electrolysis of brine (or sewage) via
wind turbine, solar powered steam
generator, etc.
• 2: Steam reforming of waste, carbon
neutral methane from sewage or landfill
gas, food waste.
Salvation through waste!
• 1: Each city could contain a “cathedral of
sustainability” where paper, glass, plastic &
metals are recycled and refurbished anew. The
cathedral remains the center of industry for the
town. The waste has to be used FIRST before
inputting new materials, the city acts like the
nucleus of a hetrotrophic cell.
• 2: Around the city, agricultural waste, algae
ponds, windmills and solar mirrors act as
“autotrophic symbionts”
Composition of biomass
pyrolysates
• Mainly oxygenates phenols, creosoles,
methanol, acetic acid, phenolic aldehydes,
phenolic ketones
• FAST pyrolysis yields little charcoal, and under
vacuum produces mainly oil.
• SLOW pyrolysis yields about 45% charcoal 30%
percent oil and 25% percent gas.
• Hydrogenation of the oil using Co/Mo catalyst
should generate high quality gasoline.
Algal Fuel
• Algae can be genetically engineered to
produce octane.
• Left over cellular “mush” can be used for
flash pyrolysis to generate more oil.
Carbon sequestration and biofuels;
some thoughts and strategies
• Coal/Oil : CO2 into old reservoirs OR char
waste / biomass, leave on fields as
biochar ( keep pyrolysis oil as fuel). Every
12g (tablespoon of biochar) added to soil
is equal to 22.4L CO2 (STP) sequestrated
from the local power station and pumped
into the local oil reservoir’s . Can be used
as carbon offsets.
Transportation of biomass
• Costly because of very low density even if dry.
• Convert to biochar and pyrolysis oil; much
higher density
• Then burn in power station as coal substitute
and sequestrate the CO2 ( negative carbon)
• Best of all either burn H2; or algal fuel or
pyrolysaste in power station then sequestrate
the CO2.(negative carbon)
Conclusions
• Earths climate can be regulated by sprinkling
biochar on fields (terra preta del indio) or
injecting NON fossil fuel CO2 into reservoirs.
• Recycling manufactured materials – paper,
plastic, metals, glass, construction materials.
• Use alternate fuels (only)
• Don’t use first generation biofuels
• Don’t use wood as fuel except from forest
thinning
More Conclusions
• Don’t cut down old growth forests or
tropical hardwoods
• There is enough organic waste to
substitute for fossil fuels.
• If you char all this waste you can take out
1ppm CO2 per year from the earths
atmosphere