Amagciwane kanye ne-CO2: Ukusebenzisa amandla amagciwane adla ikhabhoni

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• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• December 1, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Amakhono e-algae okumunca ikhabhoni angaba elinye lamathuluzi abaluleke kakhulu ekwehliseni ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu. Sekuyisikhathi eside ososayensi befunda le nqubo yemvelo yokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa nokudala ama-biofuel angangeni emvelweni. Imithelela yesikhathi eside yalokhu kuthuthukiswa ingase ihlanganise ucwaningo olwandisiwe mayelana nobuchwepheshe bokubanjwa kwekhabhoni kanye nokusetshenziswa kobuhlakani bokwenziwa ukuze kusetshenziswe ukukhula kwamagciwane.

Amagciwane kanye nengqikithi ye-CO2

Kunezindlela eziningana zokususa i-carbon dioxide (CO2) emoyeni; nokho, ukuhlukanisa umfudlana wekhabhoni kwamanye amagesi nezinto ezingcolisayo kuyabiza. Isixazululo esimeme kakhulu ukutshala amagciwane, afana nolwelwe, akhiqiza amandla nge-photosynthesis ngokusebenzisa i-CO2, amanzi, nokukhanya kwelanga. Ososayensi bebezama izindlela zokuguqula la mandla abe ama-biofuels. 

Ngo-2007, i-CO2 Solutions yase-Quebec City yase-Canada yakha uhlobo lwebhaktheriya ye-E. coli eyenziwe ngofuzo ekhiqiza ama-enzyme ukuze adle ikhabhoni futhi ayiguqule ibe yi-bicarbonate, engeyona ingozi. I-catalyst iyingxenye yesistimu ye-bioreactor enganwetshwa ukuze ithwebule ukukhishwa kwezitshalo zikagesi ezisebenzisa izinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi.

Kusukela lapho, ubuchwepheshe nocwaningo seluthuthukile. Ngo-2019, inkampani yaseMelika i-Hypergiant Industries yakha i-Eos Bioreactor. Igajethi ingamamitha angu-3 x 3 x 7 (90 x 90 x 210 cm) ngosayizi. Ihloselwe ukubekwa ezindaweni zasemadolobheni lapho ithwebula futhi ithathe ikhabhoni esemoyeni kuyilapho ikhiqiza ama-biofuel ahlanzekile anganciphisa izinga lekhabhoni lebhilidi. 

I-reactor isebenzisa i-microalgae, uhlobo olwaziwa nge-Chlorella Vulgaris, futhi kuthiwa lumunca i-CO2 eningi kakhulu kunanoma yisiphi esinye isitshalo. Ulwelwe lukhula ngaphakathi kwesistimu yeshubhu kanye nedamu ngaphakathi kwegajethi, eligcwele umoya futhi lichayeke ekukhanyeni okwenziwe, okunikeza isitshalo lokho esikudingayo ukuze sikhule futhi sikhiqize ama-biofuels ukuze siqoqwe. Ngokusho kwe-Hypergiant Industries, i-Eos Bioreactor iphumelela ngokuphindwe ka-400 ekuthwebuleni ikhabhoni kunezihlahla. Lesi sici kungenxa yesofthiwe yokufunda yomshini eyengamele inqubo yokukhula kolwelwe, okuhlanganisa nokulawula ukukhanya, amazinga okushisa, namazinga e-pH ukuze uthole okukhiphayo okuphezulu.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Izinto ezisetshenziswa ezimbonini, njenge-acetone ne-isopropanol (IPA), zinemakethe yomhlaba wonke engaphezu kuka-$10 billion USD. I-acetone ne-isopropanol yi-disinfectant kanye ne-antiseptic esetshenziswa kakhulu. Kuyisisekelo sezinto ezimbili ezinconyiwe zeNhlangano Yezempilo Yomhlaba (i-WHO), ezisebenza ngempumelelo ngokumelene ne-SARS-CoV-2. I-acetone iphinde ibe yincibilikisi yama-polymers amaningi nemicu yokwenziwa, i-polyester resin ezacile, izinto zokuhlanza, nesikhiphi se-nail polish. Ngenxa yokukhiqiza kwawo ngobuningi, lawa makhemikhali angamanye ama-carbon emitters amakhulu kakhulu.

Ngo-2022, abacwaningi abavela eNyuvesi yaseNorthwestern University e-Illinois babambisana nenkampani egaya kabusha i-carbon i-Lanza Tech ukuze babone ukuthi amagciwane angayidiliza kanjani imfucumfucu ye-CO2 futhi ayiguqule ibe amakhemikhali ezimboni abalulekile. Abacwaningi basebenzise amathuluzi ebhayoloji yokwenziwa ukuhlela kabusha amagciwane, i-Clostridium autoethanogenum (eyayiklanywe ekuqaleni kwa-LanzaTech), ukwenza i-acetone ne-IPA iqhubeke ngokuqhubekayo ngokuvutshelwa kwegesi.

Lobu buchwepheshe buqeda amagesi abamba ukushisa emkhathini futhi abusebenzisi amafutha ezinto ezimbiwa phansi ukudala amakhemikhali. Ukuhlaziywa komjikelezo wokuphila kweqembu kubonise ukuthi isiteji se-carbon-negative, uma samukelwa ngezinga elikhulu, sinamandla okunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa ngamaphesenti angu-160 uma kuqhathaniswa nezinye izindlela. Amaqembu ocwaningo alindele ukuthi izinhlobo ezithuthukisiwe nezindlela zokuvutshelwa zizokwazi ukukhuphuka. Ososayensi bangase futhi basebenzise inqubo ukwenza izinqubo ezisheshayo zokudala amanye amakhemikhali abalulekile.

Imithelela yamabhaktheriya kanye ne-CO2

Imithelela ebanzi yokusebenzisa amagciwane ukubamba i-CO2 ingabandakanya: 

• Izinkampani ezimbonini ezisindayo ezihlukene ezithola inkontileka yezinkampani ze-bioscience kuya ku-bioengineer algae ezingaba yisipesheli ukuze zidle futhi ziguqule amakhemikhali athile alahlwayo nezinto zokwakha ezivela ezimbonini zokukhiqiza, kokubili ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-CO2/nokungcoliswa kanye nokudala udoti okhiqizwayo onenzuzo. 
• Ucwaningo olwengeziwe nokuxhaswa ngezimali kwezixazululo zemvelo zokuthwebula ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni.
• Ezinye izinkampani ezikhiqizayo ezisebenzisana nezinkampani ze-carbon-capture tech ukuze zishintshele kubuchwepheshe obuluhlaza futhi ziqoqe izaphulelo zentela yekhabhoni.
• Ezinye iziqalo nezinhlangano ezigxile ekuthathweni kwekhabhoni ngezinqubo zebhayoloji, okuhlanganisa ukuvundiswa kwensimbi yolwandle kanye nokugawulwa kwamahlathi.
• Ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe bokufunda komshini ukuze kuqondiswe ukukhula kwebhaktheriya nokwandisa okukhiphayo.
• Ohulumeni ababambisene nezikhungo zocwaningo ukuze bathole amanye amagciwane abamba i-carbon ukuze bafeze izithembiso zabo eziphelele ngo-2050.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Yiziphi ezinye izinzuzo ezingaba khona zokusebenzisa izixazululo zemvelo ukubhekana nokukhishwa kwekhabhoni?
• Izwe lakini libhekana kanjani nokukhishwa kwekhabhoni?