A novel thermochemical cycle, which uses alternative energy sources (such as solar, geothermal, and safe nuclear) to dissociate CO2 and H2O, is proposed. The cycle can effectively reduce CO2 emission from the combustion of fossil fuels. The products of the cycle include carbon monoxide, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be used to synthesize hydrocarbons and liquid fuels. Oxygen can be used in oxy-fuel combustion. The proposed chemical reactions are performed to validate the cycle effectiveness and superiority. Experiments are conducted to investigate and characterize the reactive chemical systems. The maximum theoretical energy conversion efficiency of the cycle reaches 43.5%. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.