NKEB24001U Chemistry in the Green Energy Transition (Green Energy)

Volume 2024/2025
Content

Overview of the green energy transition and the role of chemistry, covering the following topics:

  • Chemistry of renewable electricity production
  • Limits to renewable electricity: intermittency and industrial emissions
  • From electrical energy to chemical energy: electrolysis
  • Hydrogen to replace fossil fuels: Power-to-X
  • The role of biogas and the gas grids
  • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage
  • Materials challenges and recycling

 

The emphasis will be on understanding the scale of the global energy system, the available technologies and current challenges.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Explain the thermochemical processes interconverting heat, electricity, and fuels.
  • List and compare different types of electrolyzers for green hydrogen production.
  • Explain strategies for closing the carbon cycle.

 

Skills:

  • Calculate thermoeconomic descriptions such as energy return on investment (EROI) and total process efficiency in power-to-X technologies.
  • Determine prices and quantities of energy products from supply and demand.
  • Evaluate whether a technology is globally scalable based on resource considerations.

 

Competencies:

  • Describe the thermodynamic cycles of power plants and heat pumps.
  • Describe the energy flows in the electricity, heat, and gas grids.
  • Describe the basic economic principles governing energy markets.

Various handouts, articles, and book chapters. More information on Absalon.

It is recommended that the student is familiar with the contents of the course Thermodynamics and Kinetics (TermoKin) or Physical Chemistry for Biochemists or Thermodynamics (Termo)
Lectures, exercises, and written assignments, student presentations, and written project work.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 40
  • Preparation
  • 100
  • Theory exercises
  • 40
  • Project work
  • 25
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 25 minutes (no preparation time)
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning outcome