PNNL

Abstract

Although some energy services (e.g., long-distance freight transport, air travel, highly reliable electricity, steel and cement manufacturing) are particularly difficult to provide without adding carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, these emissions will ultimately need to be addressed to avoid inducing additional climate change. Rapidly growing demand for these services, combined with lead times for technology development, and long lifetimes of energy infrastructure, make the challenge both essential and urgent. We examine barriers and opportunities associated with these most difficult-to-decarbonize services, including possible technological solutions and research and development priorities. A range of existing technologies could meet future demands for these services without net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere, but these options are expensive in comparison to current costs of services. Thus, their use may ultimately depend upon a combination of cost-reductions via research and innovation, in conjunction with coordinated deployment and integration of operations across now discrete energy industries.