Sydney –

Australian researchers have built a generator that consumes carbon dioxide to generate electricity without emitting any waste gas. They say the technology could create a new industrial-scale method of capturing carbon.

Scientists say too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the main cause of rising temperatures.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have invented a generator that consumes carbon dioxide and produces electricity.

The carbon-negative “nanogenerator” was built by the university’s Dow Center for Sustainable Engineering Innovation.

The prototype device uses a so-called polyamine gel to absorb carbon dioxide to generate an electrical current.

The design team acknowledges that the technology requires further development and refinement, but believes it could help significantly curb global CO2 emissions.

Zhuyuan Wang of the University of Queensland told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the concept has huge potential.

“We’ve actually just completed a proof of concept showing that this is possible, but the current power density and efficiency are not high enough to compete with other energy sources such as solar panels[s]like a wind turbine,” he said.

Queensland researchers hope their prototype will have industrial applications to help power plants reduce emissions, as well as small units for home use.

The oil and gas industry uses carbon capture and storage technology to try to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. Current methods, for example, include harnessing carbon dioxide produced by power companies and then burying it deep underground where it becomes trapped in rock formations. There are several large carbon dioxide landfills in the United States.

However, Australian advocacy group Climate Council claims carbon capture and storage technology “has not yet been trialled and tested anywhere in the world at the scale needed to tackle the climate crisis.”

Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, states that “carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels have the greatest impact on climate change.”

Australia is the 14th highest emitter in the world, accounting for just over 1% of global emissions. However, its per capita emissions are among the highest in the world. Most of Australia’s electricity is provided by coal and gas, but solar and wind are leading the energy transition.

The Climate Council says nearly a third of Australia’s energy is renewable and will soon reach 50%.