A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has developed a
way of using solar power to generate a fuel that is both sustainable and
relatively cheap to produce. It's using natural light to generate
hydrogen from biomass.
One
of the challenges facing modern society is what it does with its waste
products. As natural resources decline in abundance, using waste for
energy is becoming more pressing for both governments and business.
Biomass has been a source of heat and energy since the beginning of
recorded history. The planet's oil reserves are derived from ancient
biomass which has been subjected to high pressures and temperatures over
millions of years. Lignocellulose is the main component of plant biomass and up to now its conversion into hydrogen has only been achieved through a gasification process which uses high temperatures to decompose it fully.
