How solar energy and electrochemical technologies may help developing countries and the environment

• The failure of large scale solar/hydrogen projects in developing countries is analyzed.
• Controlling the pH of Oceans with a solar chloralkali process is found too costly.
• A zero-emission chloralkali plant in Sahara may compete with polluting EU plants.
• A new process of syngas + Cl2 production from CO2 + HCl may have “negative emissions”.

The policies of curbing CO2 emissions have worked poorly on a global scale and an economically sound proposal of bringing electric power to Europe from an Algerian solar hub has just been dismissed. With reference to the Algerian – European relationships, we analyze the broad context where an environmental policy benefitting both developing and developed countries can be put in place. We then discuss the connection between anthropogenic CO2 emissions and acidification of Oceans along with a geo-engineering proposal aimed at solving these pressing problems with large-scale solar-powered chloralkali plants. While the cost of sequestering a ton of CO2 with dedicated chloralkali plants is unacceptably high, it is economically and environmentally sound to replace an existing European Cl2 plant (consuming fossils) with a solar-powered plant in Algeria. If the Algerian plant uses a new, more efficient chloralkali process, it will be competitive with existing European plants even at the current low market value of the carbon emission credits. We finally explore the possibility of coupling Cl2 production with CO2 reuse and syngas production through a novel electrochemical process.