Reverse combustion is preparing for takeoff

An image showing the mini refinery

Source: © ETH Zürich/Alessandro Della Bella

Where burning hydrocarbons is unavoidable, creating them from atmospheric carbon is a promising option

Earlier this year, I wrote in this column about the possibilities of ‘reverse combustion’, the idea of producing fuels and chemical feedstocks out of carbon dioxide. Thermodynamically, that process is going to have to take energy. The question then comes down to making it as efficient as possible and sourcing those energy inputs in the least harmful way.