
Producing natural gas from wastewater and sunlight sounds like an idealized fuel production scenario, and that is just what a company called HyperSolar is claiming to be able to do.
Unlike many other companies making fuel using microorganisms, the HyperSolar process is designed to mimic photosynthesis with a nanomaterial. Hydrogen is produced at normal pressure, and then reacted with injected CO2 to produce methane.
Sunlight activates the nanomaterial particles and produces a charge which allows the particle to release hydrogen from the water. The process can even use untreated wastewater as a feedstock, and will produce clean water along with the natural gas.
This kind of natural gas would, of course, be preferable to fossil natural gas, since it would use already freed CO2 and leave the sequestered fossil carbon undisturbed. Moreover, it would serve as a source of natural gas without the need for controversial extraction methods like fracking.
Because the process takes place at normal pressure and temperature, it is less expensive than other systems that require large capital investments for the special equipment needed for their processes.

written by matt, December 01, 2011
written by Sue, December 02, 2011
Why publish this crap?
written by Stevan, December 03, 2011
written by Mike Bugle, December 07, 2011
written by TK, December 08, 2011
written by Bill L, December 09, 2011
written by Vijay, December 11, 2011
written by James Gerard, January 06, 2012
Companies such as this one will be further encouraged to develop their processes, since the price factor will no longer be tilted against them by what amounts to a very destructive subsidy given to the fossil carbon industries.
written by gurjeet, June 30, 2012
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DEC 01
"very destructive subsidy given to the fossil carbon industries. ..."
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