The world's richest corporations and finest minds spend
billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing
buddies in
They have developed a box which they say can be fixed
underneath a car in place of the exhaust to trap the greenhouse gases blamed
for global warming -- including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide -- and emit
mostly water vapor.
The captured gases can be processed to create a biofuel
using genetically modified algae.
Dubbed "Greenbox", the technology developed by
organic chemist Derek Palmer and engineers Ian Houston and John Jones could,
they say, be used for cars, buses, lorries and eventually buildings and heavy
industry, including power plants.
"We've managed to develop a way to successfully capture
a majority of the emissions from the dirtiest motor we could find,"
Palmer, who has consulted for organizations including the World Health
Organisation and GlaxoSmithKline, told Reuters.
The three, who stumbled across the idea while experimenting
with carbon dioxide to help boost algae growth for fish farming, have set up a
company called Maes Anturio Limited, which translates from Welsh as Field
Adventure.
With the backing of their local member of parliament they
are now seeking extra risk capital either from government or industry: the only
emissions they are not sure their box can handle are those from aviation.
CAPTURE RATE
Although the box the men currently use for demonstration is
about the size of a bar stool, they say they can build one small enough to
replace a car exhaust that will last for a full tank of petrol.
The crucial aspect of the technology is that the carbon
dioxide is captured and held in a secure state, said
"The carbon dioxide, held in its safe, inert state, can
be handled, transported and released into a controlled environment with ease
and a minimal amount of energy required," Houston said at a demonstration
using a diesel-powered generator at a certified UK Ministry of Transportation
emissions test centre.
More than 130 tests carried out over two years at several
testing centers have, the three say, yielded a capture rate between 85 and 95
percent. They showed the box to David Hansen, a Labour MP for Delyn, North
Wales, who is now helping them.
"Based on the information, there is a clear reduction
in emissions," Hansen told Reuters.
"As a result, I'm facilitating meetings with the
appropriate UK government agencies, as we want to ensure that British ownership
and manufacturing is maintained."
The men are also in contact with car-makers Toyota Motor
Corp of Japan and General Motors Corp. of the United States. Houston said they
have also received substantial offers from two unnamed Asian companies.
Both Toyota and General Motors declined to comment.
SECRETS
If the system takes off, drivers with a Greenbox would
replace it when they fill up their cars and it would go to a bioreactor to be
emptied.
Through a chemical reaction, the captured gases from the box
would be fed to algae, which would then be crushed to produce a bio-oil. This
extract can be converted to produce a biodiesel almost identical to normal
diesel.
This biodiesel can be fed back into a diesel engine, the
emptied Greenbox can be affixed to the car and the cycle can begin again.
The process also yields methane gas and fertilizer, both of
which can be captured separately. The algae required to capture all of
.
The three estimate that 10 facilities could be built across
the
The inventors say they have spent nearly 170,000 pounds
($348,500) over two years developing the "three distinct
technologies" involved and are hoping to secure more funding for health and
safety testing.
Not surprisingly, the trio won't show anyone -- not even
their wives -- what's inside the box.
After every demonstration they hide its individual
components in various locations across
"Our three minds hold the three keys and we can only
unlock it together," said
