Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed an innovative method for using sunlight and atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce environmentally friendly fuels.

They created a solar-powered reactor with practical applications in industry. Existing CO2 sources may be converted into a plentiful energy supply using this method.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems, which normally store CO2 underground, inspire cutting-edge technology developed at the university in England.

How Does It Work?

Dr. Motiar Rahaman of the university's Department of Chemistry remarked that the method catches CO2 from the air "and makes clean fuel from it"  rather than "storing CO2 underground, like in CCS. He highlighted that it could significantly help address the problem of climate change, according to The Independent.

The solar-powered reactor can actively extract CO2 from the air and indirectly from industrial operations like flue gas. The researchers concentrated the CO2 by running it through an alkaline solution, which made it simpler to use sunlight to transform it into syngas fuel.

In addition, the team produced beneficial compounds like glycolic acid, a widely utilized compound in the cosmetics sector, by incorporating plastic trash into the system.

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Co-first author Dr. Sayan Kar praised the technology's potential, saying, "This solar-powered system takes two harmful waste products-plastic and carbon emissions" and transforms them into something beneficial.

The Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry's research team, under the direction of Professor Erwin Reisner, has been focusing on net-zero carbon fuels inspired by photosynthesis for several years.

Initially, their solar-powered tests used pure, concentrated CO2 from a cylinder. The method required to actively extract CO2 from industrial processes or straight from the air posed a considerable technological hurdle to make it feasible, according to Mirage News.

The creation of this solar-powered apparatus offers fresh opportunities for combating climate change and improving sustainable energy technologies. The technique provides a means to decarbonize fuel production and lessen fossil fuel dependency by using carbon dioxide and solar energy to make clean fuels.

Canada Commits To Promoting Clean Energy

In related news, the Canadian government is decisively tackling climate change and quickening the switch to clean energy, working with Indigenous allies, the power and electrical sectors, and industry leaders in renewable energy, per Yahoo! Finance.

Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, declared a $650,000 financial commitment to QUEST Canada. Their initiative, Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy (AIRE) for Indigenous Communities, which aims to improve local energy system expertise and speed up clean energy prospects inside Indigenous communities, will be expanded with the help of this financing.

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