The end is nigh for Saudi Arabian oil production...all oil production for that matter.

[roamer65]

http://www.newsweek.com/solar-cell-breakthrough-fuel-co2-sunlight-485359

Researchers have developed an "artificial leaf" that can extract CO2 from the atmosphere and with sunlight create hydrocarbon fuel from it.

They are now filing for a patent on the process.

[msongs]

1. ifthis miracle fuel has to be burned it will put the waste back into the atmosphere

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Yes, but if it actually is pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere, that's potentially huge.

[roamer65]

4. And we just pull it right back out of the atmosphere.

As burning of fossil hydrocarbons grinds to a halt, so too will the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. The output of the process will be oxygen and hydrocarbon fuel.

It even represents possibilities for the terraforming of Mars.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Zero carbon cycle. No increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

[Yo_Mama]

3. The cited efficiency factor of 10% means that it will not be competitive

In other words, it will still be cheaper to pump it out of the ground. Saudis can pump for $20-$25. Some of the fracking wells in the US are close to that.

When and if such a process becomes more efficient, the Saudis have a lot of sun and land that's good for nothing else. They would probably be close to or the most efficient such producer - as long as the process doesn't require a lot of water.

[roamer65]

5. The process will require water, CO2 and sunlight.

The output would be oxygen and hydrocarbon fuel.

I would expect efficiency of the process to improve as they perfect it.

[Warpy]

6. Guess all those tanks will be full of bacteria

creating new oil.

They could also clean up that massive gyrus of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, feed it to the bacteria or use TDP to turn it back into oil.

It might be $300/barrel using these things, but that will make us a little more careful about what we waste it on.

[rjsquirrel]

7. Yeah sure

people have been saying the end of fossil fuel is near for decades now.

A brand new energy technology is at least a decade away from any practical implementation at scale.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Why do we have to BURN anything?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Many applications can't use batteries.

For example communities in northern Alaska and Canada, during the long Arctic winter. No chance of solar recharging batteries or hydroelectric power. But solar oil can be shipped up to run generators and snowmobiles, etc.

High power operations like mining trucks can't run off batteries because they discharge so rapidly under heavy load.

Ocean freight shipping.