Chemical engineering role in the use of renewable energy and alternative carbon sources in chemical production

Abstract

There is a demand for new chemical reaction technologies and associated engineering aspects due to on-going transition in energy and chemistry associated to moving out progressively from the use of fossil fuels. Focus is given in this review on two main aspects: i) the development of alternative carbon sources and ii) the integration of renewable energy in the chemical production. It is shown how addressing properly these aspects requires to develop also a) new tools for chemical engineering assessment and b) innovative methodologies for the development of the materials, reactors and processes. This review evidences the need to accelerate studies on these directions, being a crucial element to catalyze the transition to a more sustainable use of energy and chemistry. It is remarked, however, the need to go beyond the traditional approaches, with some examples given. In fact, the presence of radical changes in the way of production is underlined, requiring thus novel fundamentals and applied engineering approaches.