Background:
The recent discoveries and continued increased development of shale gas resources have dramatically reshaped the energy outlook of the U.S., and will provide the U.S. a generational opportunity to define its role within the global energy sector. How this new domestic energy source is utilized and managed will determine to a great extent its socio-techno-economic impact, and potentially provide the pathway to future renewable energy resources. Defining the challenges with increased natural gas penetration into the power, chemical and transportation sectors, as well as understanding and fostering the proper roles for the public, academic and private sectors in the energy equation, will be critical for the U.S. to take full advantage of this generational opportunity.
There are many issues and RD&D opportunities associated with our new natural gas resources. These include economic, environmental, and safety issues as well as those that will affect the consumer and the general public. Up to now, most of the emphasis has been on the exploration, production and delivery of natural gas. Little emphasis has been placed on how to best utilize natural gas. Opportunities in stationary power generation include developing not only higher efficiency gas turbines but also hybrid systems that can couple with solar, wind and other renewable energy sources to further reduce CO2 emissions. Opportunities also exist to develop higher efficiency heat pumps, combined heat and power turbines and fuel cells, and a variety of other improved efficiency heating and cooling devices. Transportation opportunities include extending natural gas vehicles from commercial trucks and bus fleets to light duty vehicles to include direct use as compressed or adsorbed gas storage systems or new pathways to convert natural gas to alternative liquid fuels. The emergence of economical natural gas resources, coupled with thermo-catalytic pathways, provides the potential to decrease dependence on conventional petrochemical routes towards a variety of chemical products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, methanol, ethanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and a variety of oligomers and polymers.
Exploring new and alternative uses of natural gas will involve many stakeholders from power, vehicle, building, fuel cell technologies, and the chemical and petroleum industries. There are many similarities and synergies between natural gas and hydrogen which converge at hybrid natural gas and electrical systems. Thus, abundant natural gas resources will act as an economical bridge between petroleum fossil fuels and renewable clean energy sources.
Workshop Objectives and Outcomes:
- Identify the current and highest impact alternative uses of natural gas
- Identify the technology gaps associated with each major NG alternative application
- Determine the roles for the government as well as the private sector for the RD&D
- Begin the development an integrated RD&D roadmap for advanced NG applications