For different reasons, Edward S. Rubin, a professor of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, also doubts methanol’s prospects. In a recent paper, he and several collaborators examined the extent to which converting CO2 to fuels—as CRI is doing—could mitigate climate change. Their conclusion: “While CCU [carbon capture and utilization] does have the potential to mitigate some CO2 emissions (provided that a continuous supply of carbon-free electricity is available), an alternative system employing CCS [carbon capture and storage] together with the same carbon-free electricity is a far more effective mitigation option.”
More>>