Power plants give off vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, but a new technology could help curb these devastating effects by harnessing exhaust to generate even more power.
According to research published this month in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemical Engineering, the technology is not a substitute for transitioning to zero-emissions technology, but it is a beneficial middle ground.
Carbon capture systems are typically too energy intensive to warrant their implementation, but the new system can operate at lower temperatures to react carbon dioxide emissions with hydrogen to form combustible fuel molecules like methane or gasoline. The technology eventually hits a point of diminishing returns, but the more efficient loop would cut down on overall emissions.
While not a long term solution for eliminating emissions, this technology is certainly a step in the right direction.
