Microorganism Power

An innovative, patented process for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into highly pure methane is ready for licensing according to its developer. The method is based on the natural metabolic processes of microorganisms called “archaea” – one of the oldest living species on earth – and stands alone in the category of “4th generation” biofuels.

First, second and third generation biofuels rely on the availability of large amounts of biomass and have the disadvantage of competing with arable land for food crops. The new process uses a highly-controlled bioreactor system to convert CO2 and hydrogen directly into methane, which can later be used to generate electricity.

An important application of this for harnessing renewables (such as wind and solar) and storing their energy for later use. As renewable power is generated, it can be used to drive an electrolytic reaction to remove hydrogen from water. Rather than needing to store the hydrogen (which has proven to be problematic and, therefore, expensive) it can be used, in turn, for the methane-generating reaction. The stable, storable methane can then be tapped as needed.