Power-to-fuel: A new energy storage technique

Power to fuel (P-t-F) is a promising technique that provides power conversion into high value-added products. The P-t-F technique can store surplus energy that forms due to the fluctuating electricity in renewable sources as a fuel. Different pathways that use the P-t-F technique can be developed depending on many factors (e.g., desired output, availability of investment, thermodynamic assessment). In this chapter, the main sub-processes stages (e.g., renewables, hydrogen production, and CO2 capture) that could be employed in the various pathways are introduced. Then, the working principle of these pathways is presented in detail. The key components (e.g., CO2 electrolyzer, electrochemical Haber-Bosch reactor, co-electrolyzer) of these pathways are also described. Finally, the thermodynamic assessment of P-t-F systems for two cases (methanol and ammonia) considering the recent key P-t-F studies (2015-2021) is given and discussed.