While the world keeps fighting to see who will be crowned as the leader in green energy, Austria, quietly, has positioned itself as a pioneer in this sector. The reason? They’ve invented a way to “plant” used batteries as if they were seeds. This discovery from the Technical University of Vienna may sound like a joke, but they’ve managed to transform these batteries into clean energy by producing renewable methane. Yes, it is possible to turn toxic waste into clean energy! And it’s not science fiction… Want to know more?
How does this invention work?
Spoiler: it’s not magic, it’s science. This system has discovered that key materials from already spent batteries can be reused, like nickel, alumina from aluminum foil, and they’re transformed into a “nanocatalyst.”
This catalyst basically serves to convert CO₂ into methane using hydrogen, producing clean energy that can be used in any sector. This way, waste that was dangerous and a problem becomes an essential part of generating clean fuel. Modern alchemy!
From toxic waste to energy solution
Yes, batteries are great and very modern, but their degradation has quite a bad impact on the ecosystem (a real environmental bomb), and millions are generated and accumulated each year. So instead of throwing them away, they’re reused, RRR, recycle, reduce and reuse!
And what would it be used for?
This technology could have the potential to cover the energy needs of industries and cars. It’s a real revolution in terms of electronic recycling and emission reduction in these kinds of sectors.
And Austria could not only become a sustainability reference but the queen of sustainable solutions, something not everyone can say, eh!
What is currently done with batteries?
For now, when you want to dispose of used batteries (especially those made of nickel, lithium or lead), the solutions depend especially on the country you’re in, but almost as a rule there are only three options to dispose of these batteries:
- The first is partial recycling. In some cases, the most valuable materials like nickel or cobalt are extracted, and the rest is discarded, but it’s not always an efficient process, and the worst part: it’s expensive and complicated.
- On the other hand, there’s the option of accumulation. What does this mean? That there are “cemeteries” of batteries waiting patiently for the future to bring them an answer. Basically because no one knows what to do with them, and they’re waiting for a solution to be found.
- And the last one, which is undoubtedly the worst. Many batteries end up in landfills or are exported to developing countries (yes, as if those countries were the dumping grounds of richer countries…), and of course, in those countries they’re handled without proper conditions or knowledge and end up releasing toxic compounds that contaminate the local soil and water…
That’s why this option Austria is proposing is so appealing, it doesn’t just solve the waste problem, it turns it into a solution.
How will it help the environment?
By converting CO₂ into usable methane, you’re “controlling” one of the most problematic gases when it comes to global warming, giving it a purpose. This system, moreover, doesn’t just recycle, it reintegrates it into an energy cycle, also being a very good alternative to gas, smoke, and oil.
And the competitors?
Silicon Valley brags about what it’s going to invent, and China dominates large-scale production, but Austria closes the circle by looking at what we already have and how to use it better. A very interesting bet, and above all: revolutionary!
What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments!