Earth, Energy and Environment

Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)

3

Prof. Carlo Rubbia was awarded the Nobel

Prize in Physics in 1984.

A member of numerous

international academies

and advisory groups, his

research activities are

presently focused on

new technologies and

the future of the energy

system. In June 2010,

Prof. Rubbia was

appointed Scientific

Director of the IASS,

where he leads the Earth,

Energy and Environment

cluster.

In the A nthropocene, hu man activ ities are for the f irst time strongly inf luencing the Earth’s climate. The last centuries have been cha rac ter ised by u nprecedented tech no -

logical progress accompanied by rapid population growth and improvements to quality of life, but at the expense of natural resources and the environ-ment. Climate stability – the necessary premise for human civilization to thrive – is now endangered by man-made global warming. How can we ensure sustainable development for the future of mankind?

In order to avoid the consequences of major cli-mate change, it has become clear that scientif ic knowledge will have to respond to a new kind of responsibility and play an even greater role within society. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), based in Potsdam, Germany, aims at catalysing innovation and bridging the gap be-tween science and society. Our goal is to generate and d isseminate the knowledge needed to help societies in their transformation to sustainability.

Within this framework, the IASS Earth, Energ y and Environment (E3) cluster explores innovative scientif ic and technological pathways to trans-forming the current polluting and inefficient en-ergy system. We believe that ad hoc compensatory measures like Carbon Capture and Sequestration are insufficient, and that the only alternative is to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. At the same time, and given the world’s grow ing energ y demand, fossil fuels and natural gas in particular will con-tinue to play an important role in the energy mix

for several decades, prompting the need for new mitigation solutions. For instance, the E3 cluster is investigating the possibility of extracting hydrogen from methane without generating CO2 emissions. In a wider approach, hydrogen can be combined with captured CO2 to produce methanol, a conve-nient alternative transportation fuel and chemi-cal feedstock. The development of these kinds of efficient, more climate-friendly ways of utilising inexpensive and abundant natural gas would open the way to a methane-based society with far fewer CO2 emissions.

Of course in the long r un, the only solution lies in the widespread implementation of renewable energ y sources such as wind and solar, which are currently still too inefficient and costly. In this re-gard, part of our research is directed at improving Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies and developing a heat storage system to compensate for solar power’s inherent intermittency. Lastly, one of our most promising projects envisions the application of superconductivity to long-distance electricit y transport, in order to enable the eff i-cient transportation of electrical energy produced from renewable sources in remote locations.

Reconciling qualitative economic growth with the threat of climatic instability requires a coherent en-ergy policy based on truly innovative scientific and technological developments. Operating on a Ger-man, European and international level, the IASS is committed to helping build this new contract between science and society.

The future of energyEDITORIAL

4

Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Töpfer Executive Director

Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Töpfer stud-ied Economics in Mainz, Frank-furt and Münster, and obtained his PhD in 1968 from the Univer-sit y of Mü nster. A f ter work ing

a s a gover n ment of f icia l, professor a nd adv iser on de velopment p ol ic ie s , he b e c a me M i n i s ter for Env i ron ment a nd He a lt h, R hei n la nd-P fa l z (19 85–19 87). In 19 87, he wa s app oi nted Feder a l Minister for the Environment, Nature Conser va-t ion a nd Nuclea r Safet y (1987–1994) a nd subse -quently Federal Minister for Regional Planning, Hou si n g a nd Urba n Development (19 94–19 9 8). He was also a member of the German Bundestag f rom 19 9 0 to 19 9 8 . I n t he p er io d 19 9 8 – 2 0 0 6 , Prof. Töpfer ser ved as Under Secretar y General of the Un ited Nat ions a nd Execut ive Di rec tor of the U N Env i ron ment Prog ra m. In 2 0 09, he was appointed Executive Director of the I ASS.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Carlo Rubbia Scientific Director

Prof. Dr. Dr. Carlo Rubbia gradu-ated in Physics at the Scuola Nor-male of Pisa (Italy), and obtained his PhD from Columbia Univer-sit y ( USA) i n 1959 . From 19 61

onwards, he worked at the European Organiza-t ion for Nuclea r Resea rch (CER N ) i n G eneva , becoming its Director General in 1989 –1994 . In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics

for t he d i s c over y of t he i nter me d i ate ve c tor b oson s u si n g CER N ’s proton- a nt iproton c ol-l ider. From 1972 to 19 89, he a lso held the H ig-g i ns P rofessorsh ip of Physics at Ha r va rd Un i-versit y. He was President of the Italian A gency for New Tech nolog ies, Energ y and Sustainable D evelopment f rom 19 9 9 to 2 0 05 , a nd Sp ec ia l Adv isor to the U N Econom ic Com m ission for Lat i n A mer ic a (2 0 0 9 – 2 010). I n Ju ne 2 010, he was appointed Scientif ic Director of the I A SS.

PD Dr. Mark LawrenceScientific Director

PD D r. M a r k L a w r e n c e o b -tained his PhD in Earth and At- mospheric Science in 1996 from the G eorg ia Inst it ute of Tech-nolog y in Atlanta ( USA). From 2 0 0 0 o n w a r d s , h e w o r k e d

at t he Ma x Pla nck I n st it ute for Chem ist r y i n Ma i n z , where he led t he at mospher ic mo del-ing g roup, and later tau ght Meteorolog y at the Universit y of Mainz (2009 –2010). He has coor-d i nated t he Eu rop e a n Un ion P rojec t M EG A-POLI (2008 –2011), and has ser ved or ser ves in nu merou s i nter n at ion a l c om m it te e s s u ch a s the Inter nat iona l Globa l At mospher ic Chem-ist r y projec t (IG AC), a nd the Com m ission on At mospher ic Chem ist r y a nd Globa l Pol lut ion (C AC G P). He c u r re nt ly c o ord i n at e s t he EU P rojec t “Eu rop ea n Tr a n sd iscipl i na r y A ssess -me nt of C l i m at e En g i ne e r i n g ” ( EuT R AC E). Dr. Law rence joi ned the I A SS i n October 2 011 as Scientif ic Director.

IASS Board of Directors

5

Cha l lenges such a s climate change, popu lation grow th, accelerated urbanisation, rising energ y and resou rce demand and associated pressu res on ecosystems, cannot be tackled by traditional means. Instead, more holistic, integrative, globally sustainable and transformative approaches have to be implemented.

O f f ic i a l ly fou nd e d i n 2 0 0 9 , t he I n s t it ut e for Ad v a n c e d S u s t a i n a b i l it y S t u d i e s s e r ve s a s a knowledge hub and broker for international high-level ex per ts f rom science, pol it ics and societ y focusing on sustainable development projects in a h ig h ly t ra nsd iscipl i na r y env i ron ment. G oi n g beyond scientific progress, the IASS combines the approach of a research institute and a think tank, and therefore directly links its activities to stra-tegic dialogue with policy makers, civil societ y, the business sector and the media.

The mission of the IASS is to catalyse innovation and find more effective ways of transferring scien-tific results to societal transformation processes. Its activities follow an integrative approach based on t h ree i nterl i n ked s c ient i f ic re s e a rch a re a s (“clusters”) that carry out the overarching research goals by addressing three fundamental, institute-bridging topics of focus: Societal Transformations, Energy and Technologies and Earth Systems.

The I A SS approach favou rs st ron g i nter ac t ion b e t we e n a c a d e m i c d i s c ipl i n e s , a n d c on d u c t s research in a cooperative manner w ith other in-stitutes and stakeholders. The hosting of leading national and international fellows as well as the organisation of targeted workshops and confer-ences are an integral part of its research activities.

This brochure presents the research activities of the Earth, Energy and Environment (E3) cluster, which are complemented by the work of the other two research clusters:

The Global Contract for Sustainabilit y (GCS) cluster, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Töp-fer, focuses on the societal and political transforma-tions that must take place if we are to achieve greater sustainabilit y. It pursues three priorities: Sustain-ability governance, Transformation processes, Cul-tural diversit y and sustainable economic activ it y.

The Sustainable Interactions with the Atmo-sphere (SI WA) cluster, u nder the d irection of PD Dr. Mark Lawrence, investigates how human activities are modif ying the composition of the atmosphere, how this in t u rn impacts hu man-it y, and how this interaction can be made more susta i nable. Its t wo ma i n resea rch a rea s a re: Air pollution and climate change.

The complexity of the challenges ahead requires thinking across all disciplines – our experts at the IASS approach sustainable development issues from the fields of natural and social sciences, politics, technology and civil society.

Providing knowledge for a transition to sustainability

The IASS in Potsdam The Nobel Laureate

Symposium “Global

Sustainability – A Nobel

Cause” held in Potsdam in

2007 inspired the founding

in 2009 of the IASS, an

interdisciplinary, international

institute on sustainability

studies. The IASS staff

increased rapidly from 5 in

2009 to more than 100 in

2013. 71 fellows from more

than 30 countries work

at IASS.

Potsdam

6

Transpor ting the energ y generated from renew-able sou rces f rom the d ist a nt locat ions where it is pro duced to t he den sely p opu lated a rea s where it is needed ha s become a st rateg ic a nd urgent priorit y in many regions of the world and par ticu larly in Germany. The cu rrent technolo -gies are ill suited for this task, due to prohibitive energ y losses, signif icant capital costs, and lack of public acceptance for invasive overhead lines. New solutions have to be found to develop high-power electr ic lines capable of car r y ing energ y over long d ista nces w ith opt i m ised ef f icienc y.

T h i s r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m m e i n ve s t i g a t e s t h e possibi l it y of replaci n g sta nda rd H V DC ( H ig h Volta ge Di rect Cu r rent) cables w ith DC super-c onduc t i n g c a ble s , wh ich due to t hei r i n her -ent cha r ac ter i st ic s p er m it t he t r a n sp or t at ion of large amounts of power w ithout ohmic losses. The cable design developed by the I ASS is based on m a g ne siu m d ib or ide ( M g B 2 ) – a relat ively cheap a nd ea sy to ma nu fac t u re sup erconduc t-ing mater ial – and is supplied w ith a closed loop

cr yogen ic s ystem needed to ma i nta i n the ver y low operating temperatures (20 degrees Kelvin).

The research group aims at carr y ing out a com-prehensive evaluation of the subject, includ ing so c io - ec onom ic a s p ec t s , a nd ident i f y i n g t he c omp a r at ive a dva nt a ge s of s up erc onduc t i n g lines in ter ms of ef f iciency, cost and their eco -logical foot print.

In the framework of a collaboration established in 2012 , the IASS and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CER N) are implementing a road map for ex p er i ment a l test i n g , st a r t i n g w ith a si mple MgB 2 w i re a nd proceed i n g to a protot y pe 20 -metre-long cable.

Bu ild ing upon the successf u l f irst ex periments, the I A SS resea rch g roup ha s establ ished close relat ion s w it h p ol ic y m a ker s , i ndu st r ie s a nd utilities in order to present the case for supercon-ducting electr ic lines and to generate concrete proposals for industrial application.

RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Long-Distance Energy Transport through Superconducting Electric Lines

The development of renewable energy sources will require electricity transmission infrastructure across distances of thousands of kilometres – superconducting lines could provide a more efficient and less invasive technology than the current alternatives.

Transporting tens of gigawatts of green power to the market

Superconducting Lines Energy transportation is a key

aspect of the transition to

a more sustainable energy

system. With their greater

efficiency and minimized

environmental footprint,

superconducting electric lines

will possibly represent the

only viable option for long-

distance electricity transport

in the coming decades.

7

I mprov i n g t he ener g y e f f ic ienc y a nd c o s t-effectiveness of renewable energ y sources (RES) w i l l ensu re thei r compet it iveness i n relat ion to fossil fuels and facilitate their development. Solar power, currently the fastest growing non-conventional renewable energy, will undoubtely play a key role in this context.

The conversion of su n l i g ht i nto elec t r ic it y i s currently achieved through t wo complementar y technologies: Photovoltaics (PV ), which directly c onver t s s ola r r a d iat ion i nto ele c t r ic it y, a nd Concentrated Solar Power Systems (CSP), which use mirrors and optical devices to redirect, focus a nd concent rate the su n onto a receiver where t he heat is gener ated . Cont r a r y to most R ES , wh ich are h indered by their interm ittency, CSP of fers the possibi l it y of produci ng energ y con-tinuously by storing the generated heat.

Bu ild ing upon pioneering work by Prof. Carlo Rubbia on heat stora ge th rou gh molten sa lts, the IASS research group aims at further advanc-

ing the CSP learning cu r ve and developing the technological innovations needed to unlock its potential. The research programme investigates and assesses different technological alternatives accord ing to tech n ical cr iter ia , improvements in cost, reliabilit y and economic v iabilit y. Par-ticular attention is given to the optimisation of Linear Fresnel Ref lectors, the choice of the heat carrier f luid and the introduction of heat storage to minimise day/night effects.

The project is bei ng car r ied out at the i nter na-t iona l level i n col lab orat ion w ith u n iversit ies, research instit utes and industr ial par tners, and the resea rch g roup a i ms at encou ra g i ng a con-s t r u c t i ve d i a lo g u e b e t we e n a l l s t a kehold e r s i n o rd e r t o p rom ot e t h e i m ple m e nt a t ion of CSP tech nolog y in areas w ith h igh solar power potential. For instance, the I ASS has established a par tnersh ip w ith the U N Econom ic Com m is-sion for Latin A mer ica and the Car ibbean w ith the pu r pose of promot i ng sola r power R&D i n Latin A merica and Chile in particular.

RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Advanced Concepts of Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrated Solar Power holds the promise of a plentiful, renewable alternative to fossil fuels as well as a whole new market. But harnessing the huge potential of solar power requires further improvements to how present-day solar technologies produce and store solar energy.

Exploring new ways of Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating Solar PowerThe possibility for

Concentrating Solar Power

to supply base-load power

through a heat storage

system could strike a balance

between cost and perfor-

mance, and would amount

to a real game-changer in

the fi eld of renewable energy

sources.

8

I n t he med iu m-to -lon g ter m, fossi l f uels a nd natural gas in particular will continue to play an important role in our energ y mix. In this context, mitigating the environmental impact of the con-tinued reliance on fossil fuels calls for innovative solut ions that go beyond adaptat ion mea su res s u ch a s C a r b on C a pt u re a nd S e q u e s t r at ion .

Th i s re s e a rch prog r a m me prop o s e s a n a lter -n a t i ve , m o r e c l i m a t e - f r i e n d l y w a y o f u s i n g nat u ra l ga s: the ther ma l d issociat ion of meth-a ne for t he pro duc t ion of hyd ro gen w it hout C O2 e m i s s i o n s , o r m e t h a n e c r a c k i n g . Th i s pro c e s s , w ho s e fe a s i bi l it y h a s a l re a d y b e e n scient if ica l ly proven, i nvolves the d issociat ion of methane (CH4) at h igh temperat u res for the product ion of hyd rogen (H 2) a nd black ca rbon (C), a by-product that can be stored or used for s ome c om mon c om merc i a l a ppl ic at ion s (c a r t y res, st r uct u ra l mater ia ls, etc.). The l iberated hyd rogen ca n be used a s a clea n energ y sou rce or, for instance, combined w ith capt ured CO2 to produce renewable metha nol (see project “Re -cover y of CO2 for the production of Methanol”).

I f s u c c e s s f u l l y i m p l e m e nt e d , t h i s k i n d o f te ch nolo g ic a l bre a k t h rou g h wou ld re s u lt i n a si g n i f ic a nt de c re a s e i n over a l l em i s sion s , a nd thu s wou ld help br id ge the gap bet ween t he c u r rent h i g h ly p ol lut i n g tech n ique s a nd the lon g-ter m f i na l t r a n sit ion to renewables .

The resea rch g roup is i nvest igat i n g the scien- t i f ic, tech n ica l a nd econom ic a spec ts of meth- ane cracking, and has developed a novel process d e s i g n i nt e nd e d to me e t i nd u s t r i a l re q u i re - ments. The I A SS ha s establ ished a par t nersh ip w it h t he K a rl s r u he I n s t it ut e of Te ch nolo g y ( K I T ) , G e r m a n y, fo r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d te s t i n g of a n ex p er i ment a l re a c tor b a s e d on th is desig n. Test i ng act iv it ies w i l l beg i n i n the s e c ond h a l f of 2 013 a nd a i m i n p a r t ic u la r at e va lu at i n g d i f ferent te ch n ic a l opt ion s , g a i n - ing a better understand ing of the f lu id-mechan- i c p r i n c i p l e s a t p l a y, a n d i d e n t i f y i n g t h e mo s t s u it a ble s t r u c t u r a l m ater i a l s . D e p end - i n g on t he ex p er i ment a l re su lt s , t he re se a rch g ro u p w i l l l ay o ut a ro a d m a p for i nd u s t r i a l application.

RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Combustion of Methane without CO2 Emissions

How can an abundant fossil fuel such as natural gas be exploited without harming the environment? The decarburation of natural gas through methane cracking is a clean, simple and potentially very promising solution.

Hydrogen production from methane cracking

Methane CrackingWith the development of this

technology, it will become

possible to extract and

exploit the energy potential

of methane – contained in its

hydrogen atoms – without

generating CO2 in the process.

c

H

H

HH

9

One of the major cha l lenges faci ng moder n so -ciet y is f ind ing new energ y solutions to replace d i m i n ish i n g fossi l f uels resou rces a nd to m it i- gate the env iron mental consequences of hyd ro -carbon f uel combustion.

The concept of the Metha nol Economy, i nt ro -d u c e d by No b el l au re at e P rof. G e or ge Ol a h , proposes methanol (CH3OH) as a solution to our future chemical and fuel needs. Methanol is an ex-cellent f uel for internal combustion engines, and cou ld in the f ut u re be used in “Direct-Methanol Fuel Cells”. Importantly, methanol can be directly integrated into the ex isting liquid infrastr ucture w ithout excessive i nvest ment costs, and repre -sents an easier and safer alternative to hydrogen (H2) and liqu id nat ural gas.

The chemical sy nthesis of methanol (and higher l iq u id hyd ro c a r b on s) i s a rel at i vel y s i m ple chem ica l reac t ion a nd proceed s v ia a nu mber of well understood industrial cataly tic processes involv ing the add ition of H2 to CO2

(or CO) in the

RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Recovery of CO2 for the Production of Methanol

The many difficulties facing the Hydrogen Economy and the inertia behind the existing energy system call for a more practical and feasible solution to the excessive combustion of fossil fuels: the chemical recycling of CO2 into methanol, a convenient liquid fuel and energy carrier.

Transforming CO2 from a liability into an asset

Renewable MethanolCarbon dioxide is not

necessarily a waste.

Recycling it for the

synthesis of methanol fuel

would be a practical way

of reducing emissions and

severing our dependence

on fossil hydrocarbons.

Combined with hydrogen

from methane cracking, the

whole cycle could become

carbon neutral.

c or rec t r at io to s y nt he si se met ha nol . The re - quired H2 could be provided by a CO2-free source l i ke water elec t rolysi s or met ha ne c r ack i n g.

Standard industrial chemistr y can also be used to transform methanol to higher f uels (e.g. jet f uels) or precursors for the chemical industry. Methanol produced f rom capt u red CO2 therefore of fers a pr ac t ic a l a n s wer to b ot h t he g row i n g energ y demand and the need to mitigate global warming.

Fu r ther more, industr ia l CO2 capt u re is wel l es-tablished and the conversion of the capt ured gas may prov ide ex t r a revenue st re a m s a s wel l a s m it i g ate t he ne e d for p erh ap s re du nd a nt a nd unfeasible Capt ure and Sequestration schemes.

The IASS research group is conducting an assess-ment of d ifferent possible combinations of tech-nologies in order to identif y the most promising pathways for the sustainable sy nthesis of metha-nol from carbon diox ide, taking into account en-ergy balance, cost-efficiency and carbon footprint.

10

The global demand for natural gas has been rising steadily in recent years due to a combination of fac-tors such as growing energy consumption, energy supply diversification and depletion of easily acces-sible oil and coal reserves. Natural gas represents a “greener” alternative to other fossil fuels due to its lower CO2 emission per unit of energ y produced, and could therefore be a suitable solution to address both man-made global warming and man kind’s ever-increasing energ y requ irements. However, due to dw ind ling conventional reser voirs, it is unlikely that current natural gas production will meet th is soar ing demand. In th is contex t, the vast and largely untapped unconventional natural gas reser voirs represent an abu ndant sou rce of methane which has been attracting the interest of gas companies, investors and governments. For instance, shale gas production in the US and Canada is rapidly increasing, while in Europe the technology is currently being evaluated by decision-makers.

The IASS research group aims at enhancing and ex pa nd i n g scient i f ic k nowled ge of u nconven-t iona l ga s reser voi rs, such a s sha le ga s, meth-

RESEARCH PROGRAMME: Role and Potential of Unconventional Gas

In recent years, gas production from unconventional reservoirs has become an important topic of public debate and policy-making. To preclude negative environmental consequences, assessing its potential and implications requires further research efforts.

Towards a methane-based society?

Unconventional GasHydraulic fracturing uses

a combination of vertical

and horizontal wells and a

high-pressure liquid to

extract fossil resources like

shale gas. As with other

unconventional gas

reserves, all the possible

environmental conse-

quences should be identi-

fi ed and minimised.

ane hydrates and coalbed methane, with a special empha sis on identif y ing safe ex ploitation path-ways . The re se a rch g roup i ntend s to pro duc e a de d ic ate d , c omprehen sive a nd i nde p endent framework objectively delineating the pros and cons of unconventional gas ex ploitation.

Currently, the major focus of the research group has been to address shale gas development world-wide. The starting point of this approach is a case study analysis of the German shale gas potential and its economic and geological features. Draw-ing from this initial assessment, the key aim is to ex plore the implications that shale gas develop-ment would have for our societ y, spanning from h igh ly controversial env ironmental issues such as hyd rau lic fract u ring (fracking), to the env is-aged economic and geopolitical repercussions.

The research g roup’s activ ities are closely as-sociated with the progamme on the combustion of metha ne w ithout CO2 em issions, w ith the common goal of developing innovative and low-carbon ways of utilising natural gas.

Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) e.V.

Editor:Press & Communication

Address:Berliner Strasse 130

14467 PotsdamGermany

Phone 0049 331-288223-00www.iass-potsdam.de

Mail: media@iass-potsdam.de

Board of Directors:Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. mult. Klaus TöpferProf. Dr. Dr. hc. mult. Carlo Rubbia

PD Dr. Mark Lawrence

Secretary General: Dr. Dr. Mario Tobias