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A group of researchers have succeeded in converting methane to methanol using a light, dispersed transition metal such as copper in a process known as photooxidation. According to an article reporting on research published in Chemical Communications, the reaction is the best obtained to date for the conversion of methane gas to liquid fuel under ambient temperature and pressure conditions (25 °C and 1 bar, respectively). The term bar as a unit of pressure comes from the Greek word for weight (baros). One bar is equivalent to 100,000 Pascals (100 kPa), which is very close to the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level (101,325 Pa). The results of this study are an important step in making natural gas available as an energy source for the production of alternative fuels other than gasoline and diesel. Although natural gas is considered a fossil fuel, its conversion to methanol produces less carbon dioxide (CO2) than other liquid fuels in the same category. In Brazil, methanol plays

If you want to understand the nature of Australia’s current energy crisis, look beyond the headlines and rhetoric from both sides beyond the fossil fuel fence, and just look at market prices. Australian consumers – both big and small – are duped at gas stations, power sockets and gas pipelines by a large industry that is used to setting its own rules and regulations, and having its own way with markets and governments. Australia is not short on gas, which is now clearly established. But what it also has to admit is that it has nothing short of gas cartel-like behavior, even if the country’s impotent regulators prefer to look the other way. On Monday, something extraordinary happened. On the same day that the Australian government finally dared to call it a bluff, and threatened the imposition of the so-called “gas trigger”, prices fell in both the electricity futures market and the gas market. It’s as if the fossil fuel industry has been caught red-handed, like a trillion-dollar t

The Minister of Resources has informed gas producers that the federal government intends to withdraw “gas triggers” to limit their exports, unless they can prove that the country is not facing a gas shortage by 2023. Key points: The federal government has warned it will withdraw the “gas trigger” if supplies for next year are not guaranteed Gas industry says Australia is not facing a gas shortage, contrary to warnings Government will work to reform gas triggers and renew them by 2030 Madeleine King said she would issue a notification to suppliers, the first step towards enforcement of the Domestic Gas Supply Mechanism, directing them to provide a detailed response on supply and export forecasts for next year. Consumer watchdogs have warned that despite Australia’s abundant gas supplies, the outlook for next year is “very concerning”, with most of that supply slated for export. It warns the government to consider intervention or risk a gas shortage by 2023. The federal government has th

The Federal Government has been urged to consider intervention in energy markets, amid fears a gas shortage could lead to higher prices, according to a recent report by the consumer watchdog. Key points: ACCC report projects biggest domestic gas supply shortfall since 2017 The projected shortfall could put further pressure on prices Concerns arose that some manufacturers could be shut down The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released an interim report on its investigation into gas supplies along the east coast. It said that while Australia has “relatively abundant gas resources”, most of it is produced for export and large volumes are needed for the domestic market next year to avoid shortages. “The outlook for 2023 is very worrying and is likely to put further pressure on prices, which could result in some commercial and industrial users being unable to operate,” the report said. “This is a significant deterioration in conditions compared to what we projected

Zeta Ophiuchi’s multi-wavelength view. Credits: X-Rays: NASA/CXC/Dublin Inst. Advanced Studies/S. Green et al.; Infrared: NASA/JPL/Spitzer Zeta Ophiuchi has an interesting life. It started out as a typical massive star about twenty times as massive as the sun. It spent its days happily orbiting a large companion star until its companion exploded as a supernova about a million years ago. The explosion took out Zeta Ophiuchi, so now he was speeding through interstellar space. Of course, supernovae also eject the outer layers of companion stars, so instead of empty space, our intrepid star is also traveling through the rest of the gas. As they say on Facebook, it’s complicated. And that’s great news for astronomers, as a recent study shows. Zeta Ophiuchi is most famous for the beautiful pictures above. By plowing through interstellar gas, the star has created heat shockwaves that shine in everything from infrared to X-rays. The

Australians pay about 20 cents per liter more for diesel than they should, consumer advocates say. And they said there seemed to be no good reason for that. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australians were “really dirty” about higher fuel prices. While prices have declined, experts say diesel prices have not fallen enough. But retailers say there is always a lag between the drop in oil prices seen at the pump. Even if you don’t own a diesel vehicle, you may be affected by the price of diesel. That’s because it’s the fuel of choice for industry — transportation, agriculture, shipping, and mining — which means there are after-effects for the economy. Why is diesel so much more expensive than gasoline? Oil prices soared earlier this year after Russia was sanctioned for its invasion of Ukraine. Diesel prices rose more than gasoline due to various factors including higher demand due to the COVID-19 economic recovery and less supply from Russia. Russia is one of the largest oil producer

It is understood that Westpac’s new measures affect only a handful of clients and the bank’s total exposure to oil and gas is approximately $2.4 billion. Anthony Miller, Westpac’s head of institutional banking, said all of the bank’s clients were working through how they would achieve net zero emissions, pledging to work with them to achieve the transition. We have set our own target “Every client is involved in this, thinking about what their transition plans and targets should be. It will only get deeper and more substantive as we progress,” he said. “Just like if a client doesn’t meet their financial commitments, we don’t leave them, we don’t leave, we stay with them and help them. It’s just about partnerships, we’ve set our targets, we’ve shared them with clients, and we’ve set our own targets.” Announcing changes to bank lending policies in power, cement and oil and gas, including a commitment to cut oil and gas emissions by 23 percent at 2021 levels by 2030, Mr King said Westp

The world throws away about a third of all food produced each year. In Australia, that equates to more than 7 million tonnes of edible food, and is estimated to cost the economy more than $36 billion a year, according to a report commissioned by the federal government. At the same time, many of us cook with gas, which is increasingly expensive and contributes to greenhouse gas pollution. But there is a growing movement of people and businesses looking to kill two birds with one stone. Load Making biogas at home from leftover food, which can then be used for cooking, is getting simpler. Several companies now offer large-scale systems for restaurants and even refugee camps, as well as basic home arrangements. About six years ago, Annett and Paul left city life in Sydney and moved to northern New South Wales, where they built a small off-grid house. As part of the arrangement, they installed a biogas food digester which they use to feed leftovers and toilet waste. From that organic mater

On Wednesday, Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni claimed his country had done the heavy lifting in the national energy market. Load “We send 300 terajoules of gas per day to the southern states, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes,” de Brenni said. “We are providing these supplies to help Victorians and NSW residents through one of their toughest winters on record.” Australia’s energy market remains in disarray. Professor Bruce Mountain, director of the Victorian Center for Energy Policy, said coal-fired power generation was now “past its prime” and there was a shortage of wind and solar power available to offset the decline in coal. “As a result, gas has been forced to enter the market to produce much more electricity than usual,” he said. “We have a gas generation that is not efficient for power, the goal is purely to fill the peak, but it doesn’t just fill the peak, it runs very often, so it drains a lot of gas out of the system.” Mountain said Victoria was produ

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has stepped in to prevent a potential gas shortage in Victoria, the state’s energy minister said. Key points: Energy market operator AEMO says guaranteed gas supply will ensure transparency in the market The Victorian government has ruled out lifting the wholesale gas price cap in response to pressure on supply State opposition calls for reduced gas exports from Victoria Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio told ABC Radio Melbourne that AEMO triggered a gas supply guarantee on Tuesday afternoon, as reserves at storage facilities in the state’s southwest continued to fall. “That means they will have greater visibility of gas sales and supply across markets including Victoria but in other states, to get transparency here,” he said. “When you get more transparency in the market, the market starts to change its behavior, and to be honest, the market has slipped too much here. “More visibility means, as it did in April [when the guarantee wa