Power-to-Methane In a Bioelectrochemical System

Samenvatting

The alarming prospects of global warming are the main driving force for the increasing use of renewables in the energy sector. However, due to mismatches between the energy production by renewables and energy consumption, storing electrical energy is crucial. A bioelectrochemical system (BES) is a technology that allows the interconversion between electrical energy and chemical energy through biological processes. In this thesis BESs for the conversion of CO2 and electricity to CH4 (methane) are explored with the goal of improving their performance. By improving the performance of these systems, the technology becomes one step closer to implementation as a Power-to-Methane storage process. Storing energy in the form of methane is a promising path, because it can make use of currently existing infrastructure for gas transport and storage, hence facilitating its incorporation into the current energy framework.