ABSTRACT
The term "decarbonization" as applied to fossil fuels has become a byword for application to the mitigation of the global greenhouse gas problem. In the strictest sense of the word, decarbonization means the removal of carbon from fossil fuels prior to combustion. However, it has come to mean the use of fossil fuels with the avoidance of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. There are two approaches for achieving decarbonization of fossil fuels. One approach is to process the fossil fuel prior to combustion so as to remove the carbon as carbon and 'utilize only the hydrogen-rich fraction as fuel. The other approach is to convert the fossil fuel to a hydrogen-rich fuel while producing, recovering, and sequestering CO2 prior to combustion. Decarbonization also applies to the capture, recovery, and sequestering of CO2 after combustion, thus preventing the CO2 from entering the atmosphere. The processes dealing with decarbonization and the production of alternative hydrogen-rich fuels are described in this chapter. The hydrogen-rich fuels can be used for central power station electricity generation or as transportation fuels.
