Carbon capture and utilization in the soil permanently. A carbon-neutral fuel can be synthesized by using the captured CO from the atmosphere as the main hydrocarbon source. The fuel is then combusted and CO, as the byproduct of the combustion process, is released back into the air. In this process, there is no net carbon dioxide released or removed from the atmosphere, hence the name carbon-neutral fuel. An example of the technology include biofuel from microalgae as discussed below. Methanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the simplest member of the family of alcohol organic compound with a chemical formula of CHOH. Methanol fuel can be
Hydrogen storage to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen to methane, (see natural gas) using electrolysis and the Sabatier reaction. A third option is to combine the hydrogen via electrolysis with a source of carbon (either carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide from biogas, from industrial processes or via direct air-captured carbon dioxide) via biomethanation, where biomethanogens (archaea) consume carbon dioxide and hydrogen and produce methane within an anaerobic environment. This process is highly efficient, as the archaea are self-replicating and only require low-grade (60°C) heat to perform the reaction. Another process has also been achieved by SoCalGas to convert the carbon dioxide in