Series Prologue: Energy Catalytic Technologies of 21st Century

A new group of catalytic technologies all within the energy sector were advanced in the last 20 years, mostly originated at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada and licensed by NanosTech Solutions. Given their relevance in this crossroad for humanity, requiring fast progression from fossil to alternate energy sources these technologies deserve significant attention, implementation and training on their concepts.

Here is an introduction and guidance to them intending to start disseminating appropriate general knowledge on them and to motivate world’s exploration on the great economic and environmental benefits they may offer. The series of white papers following this prologue is produced as first step to advising and instruction. These catalytic technologies tackle different typical energy sources, ensuing is a backbone list of them:

A. Natural Gas

1. LESR (Low Emissions Steam Reforming) — new catalytic process to generate hydrogen with a simpler configuration and higher productivity, lower temperature than conventional steam reforming.
2. DRM (Dry -CO2- Reforming of Methane), and LESR-DRM combination. Catalytic process with a performing stable catalyst at low T (<600°C) with natural gas. Combining LESR with DRM, all the CO2 reaction emissions in the production of hydrogen and syngas can be eliminated.
3. Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS). Its catalyst has been widely published in the prestigious journal Science (vol 384, No 6695, p 485-596. May 03 2024). This robust catalytic process converts CO2 emissions into syngas whenever hydrogen is available.

B. CO2-utilization

1. Combination LESR-DRM-RWGS. Allows hydrogen generation and syngas generation with total CO2 elimination, both chemical and utilities emissions. Capable of external CO2 conversion.
2. DRM-Carbonization. Conversion of CO2 and methane to graphite in a single reactor vessel in continuous mode.

C. Renewables

1. AQP-HDT (Aquaprocessing-Hydrotreating) — an original and very competitive combination that generates high quality renewable fuels such as Diesel and Gasoline as well as renewable bunker fuel.
2. Renewables-Fossil oils Co-Processing. The AQP-HDT special catalysts makes blending problems between renewables and fossil oils to be processed in a conventional refinery a thing of the past.

D. Heavy oils: For three catalytic premium technologies have been developed.

1. ISUT or In Situ Upgrading technology — an enhanced oil recovery combined with in situ oil upgrading.
2. AQP or Aquaprocessing — a partial surface catalytic upgrading of heavy (fossil) oils that can also be applied to renewable oils.
3. AQP of distillates such as Diesel and VGO. AQP in combination with HDT can produce reformulated Diesel (<15 ppm), replacing expensive hydrocrackers and Diesel hydrotreating.
4. Hydrotreating for high oxygen content feedstocks and all other conventional distillates streams. A special catalyst formulation based on cubic molybdenum carbide — replacing susceptible to oxygenates traditional sulfide formulations — to secure the best performance for renewable fuels deoxygenation.

Ensuing each one of these processes will be dealt with in preliminary white papers.