Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/30231 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper Series in Economics No. 147
Publisher: 
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre, Lüneburg
Abstract: 
Marine and permafrost-based methane hydrates are the largest existing fossil carbon resource, whereby the marine deposits far outweigh the terrestrial ones. Their broad geographic distribution, especially in comparison to oil and conventional gas, make them a promising future source of energy. However, there is a danger of forcing the greenhouse effect in the event of a release of methane into the atmosphere as well as causing the collapse of oceanic slope sediments. Also the technical difficulties in extracting methane from hydrates are not yet fully resolved. Nevertheless, research on methane hydrates has been forced both on political as well as economic considerations in recent years and methane hydrates have several practical advantages, which make them a transitional solution worth looking at on the way to a future renewable-based energy supply, not in the least in playing a role in carbon capture and sequestration. However, the knowledge of the potentials and risks of methane hydrates is still very poor, especially in the German-speaking public, administration and policies. This deficiency hopefully will be eased by this overview dealing with the current state of research and an outlook based on the most important findings.
Subjects: 
CO2-Sequestrierung
Energiepolitik
Erdgas
fossile Energieträger
Klimawandel
Kohlenstoffpotential
Methan
Methanhydrate
Ökologische Ökonomik
Treibhausgas
Versorgungssicherheit
JEL: 
H00
Q38
Q47
Q42
Q48
Q54
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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