Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Natural Gas

Due to the increasing global demand for fossil fuels driven by population growth, emission of greenhouse gases have surged to alarming levels, reaching approximately 410 ppm. These emissions are the primary drivers of global warming, contributing to environmental catastrophes such as floods, landslides, wildfires and storms. The urgency of addressing these issues alongside stricter environmental regulations and the depletion of petroleum reserves, necessitates a global push towards developing alternative green fuels to replace fossil fuels. Carbon sequestration from pre-combustion, post-combustion and oxyfuel combustion processes has emerged as a key solution to the pressing challenge. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of recent advances in the conversion of methane (CH₄) into valuable fuels such as syngas which can be produced from various methane-reforming processes including steam reforming, dry reforming, partial oxidation, and bi-reforming. However, further research is needed to achieve economically and commercially feasible conversion processes.