Petroleum/fossil fuel reforming

Fossil fuels > Petroleum refining > Coal gasification > Coal fired power plant > Natural gas fired power plant > steam methane reforming > Steam coal gasification... 

States. This approach may not achieve all the stated objectives for transitioning to a hydrogen economy. Specifically, much of the hydrogen production will rely on the heavy use of fossil fuels, whether produced from natural gas reformation or electrolysis using largely grid-supplied electric power. A distributed hydrogen system wiU, however, reduce the transport sector s reliance on imported sources of petroleum. 

Fossil fuels currently make up the backbone of the US energy economy. The processing of these fuels leads to considerable levels of CO2 production. An estimated 1.5 billion tons of carbon in the form of CO2 is emitted each year. About 40% is produced in the conversion of fuel into electricity. Inefficient chemical processes can also be added to the fist of major energy consumers. For example, petroleum reforming and ammonia synthesis both consume considerable amounts of resources in order to provide the heat necessary to drive their respective reactions. In addition, they operate at high temperatures, which tends to lead to the greater production of combustion products and thus lower overall selectivities. The design of catalysts which are more active would lower the temperature of... 

It is difficult to be at all quantitative as to when and to what degree these various possible applications will come to pass. Among the many factors which will determine the future energy scene are technical factors (advances in fuel cells, electric vehicles, electrolyzers, LH2 fuelled aircraft, etc.), environment factors (SO2 emissions, mining of fossil fuels, etc.) and, of course, the ubiquitous economics and politics which control all major human activities. What does seem clear is that, in the early years, synthetic fluid fuels will be manufactured by steam reforming, both for economic reasons and for institutional reasons associated with the expertise of the petroleum and gas industries. Electrolytic hydrogen will enter upon the scene more slowly, as it will be dependent upon the availability of cheap or surplus electricity and will tend to be produced by the chemical industry or electricity utilities rather than by the fuel industries. Moreover, its first use is likely to be for chemical synthesis, rather than as a fuel. 

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