Extrapolation of world energy consumption from 1990 to 2010 indicates the complete exhaustion of world reserves of oil, natural gas, uranium and coal by 2040, 2043, 2046 and 2053, respectively. For the survival of all people in the whole world, intermittent and fluctuating electricity generated from renewable energy should be supplied in the form of usable fuel to all people in the whole world. We have been working on research and development of global carbon dioxide recycling for the use of renewable energy in the form of methane via electrolytic hydrogen generation using carbon dioxide as the feedstock. We created energy-saving cathodes for hydrogen production, anodes for oxygen evolution without chlorine formation in seawater electrolysis, and catalysts for methanation of carbon dioxide and built pilot plants of industrial scale. Recent advances in materials are described. Industrial applications are in progress.Keywords: Renewable energy, methane supply, CO 2 recycling, electrolytic hydrogen generation, CO 2 methanation, syngas methanation, fuel depletion, survival of world population Ekstrapolacja światowego zużycia energii z lat 1990-2010 wskazuje, że całkowite wyczerpanie światowych zasobów ropy naftowej nastąpi w 2040 roku, gazu ziemnego w 2043 roku, uranu w 2046 roku a węgla w 2053 roku. Dla przetrwania ludzkości na całym świecie energia elektryczna powinna być generowana z odnawialnego źródła w formie paliwa dostępnego dla każdego. Opracowano technologię globalnego recyklingu dwutlenku węgla i zastosowania metanu jako formy odnawialnej energii generowanej poprzez uwodornienie CO 2 wodorem produkowanym podczas elektrolizy wody morskiej. Opracowano energooszczędne katody do produkcji wodoru, anody do produkcji tlenu bez towarzyszącej temu emisji gazowego chloru podczas elektrolizy wody morskiej oraz katalizatory stosowane w procesie uwodornienia dwutlenku węgla. Wybudowano również pilotażową instalację w skali przemysłowej. Praca opisuje ostatnie postępy w industrializacji procesu.
Future of EnergyWe have been working on research and development (R&D) of a global CO 2 recycling system over the last two decades. Now the industrial applications of global CO 2 recycling are in progress. At first, let us identify problems in global energy in the current situation of unlimited access to energy resources, including oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is posting energy-related world data over the period from 1980 mostly to 2010 including energy consumption, CO 2 emission, and population of individual areas of the globe in addition to the world reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal [1]. Figure 1 reproduces from the DOE data the chronological patterns of variation in energy consumption per capita over the 29-31 years in three groups of countries as well as those of the world, Japanese, American and Chinese. The difference in the energy consumption per capita among countries is clear. Figure 2 shows the CO 2 emissions per capita. It is difficult at glance to distinguish Figs. 1...