2017 Volume 96 Issue 9 Pages 400-407
This study conducted the rough assessment on the model transporting liquid methane converted by methanation of carbon dioxide with hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using electric power of large scale wind power assumed to be installed in Patagonia region in Argentina from the viewpoint of energy productivity, energy balance, carbon dioxide circulation possibility and investment recovery. It was assumed that the CO2 for methanation was transported from both Japan where CO2 was produced by using the methane and South America. As a result, when wind turbines in 3000 kW class of 7.81×105 units were assumed to be installed, the amount of liquid methane which could be transported to Japan was 2.2 times as large as the import volume of LNG in Japan, indicating that the model had the adequate energy productivity. The energy loss of the model was 64.7%. The amount of carbon dioxide emission from liquid methane transported from Patagonia region to Japan was equal to 49.1% of the amount of carbon dioxide which was necessary for methanation in Patagonia region, which was short. Consequently, the CO2 which is short for methanation should be procured from the other system in South America. Since this assessment was carried out based on some bold assumptions, the further investigation should be necessary in the future.
