Bioconversion of Industrial CO2 into Synthetic Fuels

The energy-intensive industry (EIIs) is responsible for significant CO2 emissions, which must be limited to avoid irreversible consequences. Implementing renewable energy (RE) technologies and avoiding CO2 emissions by EIIs are necessary steps towards decarbonization. A potential solution for using renewable energy is to transform CO2 into synthetic fuels and chemicals. However, CO2 is a very stable molecule and it needs a lot of energy to change it. This means that the process is not sustainable unless it uses renewable energy sources. Therefore, it is important to find sustainable ways to transform CO2 and to evaluate them based on scientific understanding and economic analysis. There are four main ways to use heat and catalysts to change CO2 into fuels. They are Methane dry reforming, Reverse water gas shift reaction, Sabatier reaction process, and Direct methanol synthesis. These methods need H2 or CH4 from a renewable source. Another option is to use electricity or light to reduce CO2 and make fuels. This chapter focuses on the Biological conversion of CO2, a promising approach to produce synthetic fuels from industrial CO2. Algae can efficiently capture CO2 to produce biomass that can be used to produce biomethane. However, most of these technologies require green H2 to produce synthetic fuels from captured industrial CO2. In conclusion, decarbonization of EIIs is necessary to limit CO2 emissions, and the implementation of renewable energy technologies and the use of renewable energy sources in CO2 conversion processes are crucial. Biological conversion of CO2 is a promising approach to produce synthetic fuels, but it requires green H2 for its successful implementation.