Episode 81 | Useful Utilization | National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE)

Many see CO₂ as a pollutant. The Department of Energy's Carbon Utilization Program at NETL specializes in turning carbon into a commodity.

My guest, Joe Stoffa, technology manager for utilization at NETL, classifies utilization into three core groups:

• Biological projects—Algae or microbial conversion
• Chemical and Electrochemical—Mostly using catalytic or plasma reforming
• Direct incorporation of CO₂—Materials like concrete

Joe began work at NETL around 2008, and even then the department was working on utilization initiatives. However, he says DOE has given the division more attention over the last 2 or 3 years, with specific language in apprpriations bills for use/reuse.

"I see CO₂ utilization as an opportunity for large-scale energy arbitrage," says Joe. "Our goal is to support the development of technologies that can time-shift energy supply by utilizing low cost electricity or waste heat to transform CO₂ into higher value products."

Low-cost electricity or waste heat is key, since, CO₂ requires energy to "crack" if you want to produce hydrocarbon fuels, for instance.

"CO2 is energetically dead," he says. "The challenge lies in reducing operational and capital costs where CO2 utilization is economically beneficial to both producer and consumer."

Joe's department currently has about 40 active projects in their portfolio. Though most carbon is used for Enhanced Oil Recovery, Joe says other utilization technologies are necessary to suck up all the CO₂ the United States alone produces.

"We release about 5.5 billion tons of CO₂ in U.S.," he says, "EOR is about 1.5% of those emissions. There is enough CO₂ to go around."

Some might question why anyone would want to use excess renewable energy, for instance, to convert CO₂ to more fuel. Joe sees utilization, to fuels for instance, as a form of energy storage. There's also the fact that fuel produced from CO₂ has a net lower footprint than single-use fossil fuel (i.e. crude oil).

Most of NETL's projects are performed by universities and small businesses. This work is funded through cooperative agreements, skilled work proposals, SBIR/STTR programs, and grants. Recipients own their IP.

Joe had formerly served as a project manager, overseeing this work. Now, as Technology manager, he describes his role as setting the department's priorities.

"It's kind of like being in control of the checkbook," he jokes, "but there are a lot of stakeholders."

Useful Links:

• NETL Carbon Utilization Program - Official Site