Moving away from CO2: measurement technology for decarbonisation

Decentralised production of hydrogen from renewable energy in electrolyser plants.

As part of the energy transition, the industry has a clear goal: to convert its energy supply to a sustainable basis using renewable energies. This change is aimed at reducing or even eliminating anthropogenic CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuels. However, the multitude of technologies for the decarbonisation of industry places high and specific demands on process measurement technology. This article provides an overview of how the process industry can contribute to this.

The challenge of the energy transition in the chemical industry is significant, as fossil raw materials, which are a source of climate-damaging carbon dioxide, must be replaced. At the same time, CO2 serves as a raw material for various processes in the chemical industry. In a decarbonised world, however, it is no longer possible to produce CO2 as a by-product as before. The switch to renewable raw materials and energy sources therefore often requires extensive adjustments to existing processes and at the same time opens up new avenues for CO2 avoidance, capture and storage technologies.

In order to better describe the various strategies and approaches for achieving the climate targets and to discuss both the challenges and the solutions, they are divided into three subject areas in this article:

electrification of processes and increasing efficiency
conversion to alternative energy sources, in particular green hydrogen
utilisation of CO2 as a raw material and development of active capture technologies

Precise recording of heat quantities using a dense network of measuring instruments and energy calculators along the vapour pipes.

Electrification of processes and increasing efficiency

The direct conversion of processes to renewable electricity from wind, water and sun is a promising measure for reducing emissions. This often does not require any drastic changes to the processes. However, for processes that cannot be made emission-free immediately, there is potential for savings by increasing efficiency and optimising systems.

Direct filtration of CO2 from the air and storage for further use by means of direct air capture.

Hydrogen as a storage medium

The switch to alternative energy sources also requires the development of storage technologies to compensate for fluctuations in renewable energy generation. Hydrogen is regarded as a promising storage medium. The addition of hydrogen to fuel gases to reduce emissions is also being discussed, with precise measurement technology playing a decisive role.

Partial reduction of emissions by adding H2 to other fuel gases.

CO2 as a raw material and active capture technologies

Active capture emission technologies such as Carbon Capture (CC) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) play an important role in reducing CO2 emissions. Endress+Hauser offers measurement technologies such as TDLAS for the precise measurement of CO2 concentrations, both in process gases and in ambient air. However, CO2 is also used as a raw material in various industries, which poses new challenges in terms of measurement and handling.

Capture, storage and utilisation of CO2 emissions for industrial purposes through carbon capture.

End-to-end measurement concepts for the energy transition

Comprehensive measures and technological approaches are required to achieve the goals of the CO2 transition. A wide range of devices and solutions are already available to support the industry's transition to zero-emission technologies, including specialised measurement technology for use with hydrogen and CO2. These are, for example, devices specifically for use in hydrogen applications that take into account the special material properties of the molecules or the extreme process conditions. In the field of optical gas analysis with TDLAS, QF and Raman sensors, users are also supported in the precise determination of the composition of gases, liquids and solids.