Gasoline by extracting carbon from 'thin air'

[voyager]

McGinnis’s plan to resuscitate the fuel’s social standing hinges on a machine he’s building that creates usable gas from thin air — rather than the oil deposits deep underground. He’s one of a growing number of entrepreneurs pursuing direct carbon capture technology, which extracts carbon from the air and water and transforms it into usable substances like gasoline, construction materials and industrial chemicals. Experts increasingly believe that any serious response to climate change must include proactively removing carbon from the atmosphere.

In Silicon Valley, the Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air

 

[voyager]

 

[mblakele]

Less annoying link: Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

After reading the article, I think it's overly dismissive to imply that this is some kind of perpetual motion machine. However it's true that the article neglects to mention where the energy would come from. I'd think it'd come from excess renewable energy, such as the solar that's curtailed by CA ISO on many days.

Personally I think that energy would be better used to synthesize CH4 rather than gasoline (or hydrogen). Renewable, carbon-neutral CH4 could replace some or all of our natural gas consumption. It could use the extensive infrastructure for storage and transmission of natural gas, which we already have. Then it'd be reasonably efficient and green to burn that renewable CH4 for heat and electricity in winter months. On the other hand gasoline-burning vehicles would still be very inefficient compared to electric drivetrains.

 

[mongo]

Less annoying link: Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

After reading the article, I think it's overly dismissive to imply that this is some kind of perpetual motion machine. However it's true that the article neglects to mention where the energy would come from. I'd think it'd come from excess renewable energy, such as the solar that's curtailed by CA ISO on many days.

Personally I think that energy would be better used to synthesize CH4 rather than gasoline (or hydrogen). Renewable, carbon-neutral CH4 could replace some or all of our natural gas consumption. It could use the extensive infrastructure for storage and transmission of natural gas, which we already have. Then it'd be reasonably efficient and green to burn that renewable CH4 for heat and electricity in winter months. On the other hand gasoline-burning vehicles would still be very inefficient compared to electric drivetrains.

That is what SpaceX is doing for refueling on Mars.
Sabatier reaction - Wikipedia
The one downside is that, in the event if a leak, CH4 is a worse greenhouse gas than CO2.