Batteries can't solve the world's energy storage problem. Archaea could

Batteries can't solve the world's energy storage problem. Archaea could(qz.com)

1 points by soarfourmore 5 years ago | 2 comments

blacksqr 5 years ago |

A custom-bred form of bacteria converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane. Electricity is required to generate hydrogen by electrolysis of water. Company proposes to use excess electricity from renewable sources to keep it green.

gus_massa 5 years ago | |

> A custom-bred form of bacteria

Nitpicking: It's an archaea, they are very similar if you are not a biologist anyway.

> converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane.

The main problem is that you need energy to produce the hydrogen, the relevant part of the article is:

> For every unit of energy of electricity fed into the system, it produces about 0.75 units of energy stored in the form of methane, according to Doris Hafenbradl, Electrochaea’s chief scientist. That’s not as good as lithium-ion batteries, which can reach near 100% efficiency. But unlike the energy stored in batteries, once methane is produced it can be stored indefinitely, because it doesn’t spontaneously degrade into other chemicals.

So there is at least a 25% loose in the storage.