Catalyst evaluation for CO2 Methanation in the context of the Power to Gas process

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Electricity generation from renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biomass) is increasing worldwide. Wind and solar photovoltaic energy are the fastest growing sources of electricity in Canada. In this context, energy storage becomes more and more important to bridge temporal and geographical gaps between energy supply and demand. The power to gas process (P2G) is a very promising technology in which electrical energy is converted into chemical energy such as hydrogen or methane and stored in the natural gas grid. As hydrogen storage and injection into the gas grid is limited, the produced hydrogen can be further converted with carbon dioxide into methane that is interchangeable with natural gas. Thus, the already existing gas distribution infrastructure and mature end-use technology can be fully utilized. Xebec Adsorption Inc. is a global provider of clean energy solutions and offers a range of biogas upgrading technologies in which carbon dioxide is removed from methane. Xebec is seeking an effective solution to further convert the separated carbon dioxide into useful products. At the same time Xebec is interested in expanding into the new energy storage sector applying the power to gas (P2G) concept. The main challenges in the P2G process are the catalytic methanation of carbon dioxide (i.e., reaction mechanisms, catalyst design) and the reactor design (i.e., heat removal). The proposed project aims at addressing these problems by evaluating various commercial available catalysts and investigating the reaction mechanism, which is needed for reactor design. The research team, consists of recognized experts in the field of catalysis and methanation reaction. This research will enable the development of a CO2 methanation process within the P2G framework, which allows the company to expand their market share in Canada and internationally that will result in new jobs for scientists, engineers, and technicians in Canada. The benefits to Canada is an alternative possibility to store electricity on a large scale.