(186a) The Important Role of Hydrogen in Solar-Assisted Synthesis of Fuels and Chemicals

Harnessing the power of the sun to produce energy-rich fuels and chemicals from abundant resources offers the promise of providing plentiful supplies to meet growing U.S. energy and industrial needs. Opportunities for the solar-assisted production of strategically-important fuels and chemicals include hydrogen from water, hydrocarbon fuels from carbon dioxide and hydrogen/water, and ammonia from di-nitrogen and hydrogen/water. Most of these fuels and chemicals are currently produced from fossil resources using energy-intense high temperature processes, but advanced processes for fuel synthesis utilizing sunlight in conjunction with air and water can provide critical supplements to help meet near- and longer-term demands. These processes rely heavily on thermochemical and/or photochemical manipulation of chemical bonds to facilitate incorporation of hydrogen into molecular structures. Important research, development, and demonstration activities with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Program focus on the large-scale production of hydrogen-rich synthetic fuels and chemicals using diverse domestic resources, including solar energy. These activities, coordinated through the Department’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, will be discussed in context of national priorities related to industrial decarbonization and environmental justice.