UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Filling the gaps with bioenergy and hydrogen

Ekins, Paul; (2023) Filling the gaps with bioenergy and hydrogen. In: Stopping Climate Change: Policies for Real Zero. (pp. 146-162). Routledge: London, UK.

[thumbnail of Ekins_Chapter 6_Bioen and H2_Final_230429.pdf] Text
Ekins_Chapter 6_Bioen and H2_Final_230429.pdf
Access restricted to UCL open access staff

Download (349kB)

Abstract

Bioenergy comes from biomass that is used to produce power, heat or vehicle fuels (‘biofuel’). The main constraint on the quantity of bioenergy that is available is land, given the need also for land to produce food for a growing population and to leave space for forests and wildlife. This chapter explores the availability of biomass under different assumptions and the various controversies around its production. Zero-carbon energy scenarios also usually see a role for hydrogen. The most common processes for hydrogen production are steam reformation of fossil methane gas, or electrolysis of water with renewable electricity. Hydrogen has a wide range of uses – for heat, power and transport – for which it can be burned, used in fuel cells for power generation, converted into synthetic fuels (‘synfuels’ or ‘e-fuels’) or used in the direct reduction of iron for steel-making. There is now considerable investment going into the manufacture of electrolysers to produce ‘green’ hydrogen, so it may be that after a long gestation period, this energy source will become more widely used over the next 20 years.

Type: Book chapter
Title: Filling the gaps with bioenergy and hydrogen
ISBN-13: 9781003438007
DOI: 10.4324/9781003438007-7
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003438007-7
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10190191
Downloads since deposit
1Download
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item