Low-cost Transmission, Storage, and Integration for Renewable-source Energy: Hydrogen and Ammonia C-free Fuel Systems via Underground Pipelines, with Storage in Salt Caverns and Liquid NH3 Tanks

摘要

Solar and wind are the lowest-cost renewable sources, but are intermittent. New, low-cost transmission and storage infrastructure will be needed as we convert the world's largest industry--energy--from fossil to renewable sources, as we progress to "run the world on renewables". We must now consider gaseous hydrogen (GH2) and anhydrous ammonia (NH3, "the other hydrogen") as complete renewables-source energy systems: renewablesource electricity is converted at the sources, both "centralized" (large, remote plants) and "distributed" (at point-of-use) to GH2 and NH3 fuels. i,ii,iii,iv Underground pipelines gather, transmit, distribute, and store these C-free fuels, to supply CHP and transportation markets, and all other energy demand. We now need to form a collaborative to conceive, design, bid, build, and operate pilot plants by which we can test these cases and hypotheses.