u/MoleculesAndMandates

Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists have demonstrated that an abundant, potentially sulphur-tolerant catalyst (MoS₂) can efficiently convert methane gas at temperatures below 100°C into methyl peroxide, a primary precursor for methanol.

Methanol is a stable, ambient-temperature liquid fuel that can use much of the world's existing liquid-fuel infrastructure and is rapidly emerging as a leading alternative fuel for lower-emissions global shipping. It can also avoid the methane-slip issue associated with some LNG-fuelled marine engines.

Where might this take us one day?

It sounds possible that the reaction could eventually be tuned to produce methanol directly. The process does require hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), but modular electrochemical cells are available today that can synthesize H₂O₂ on site using water, air, and local electricity.

That points toward a potentially decentralized energy paradigm: rather than relying exclusively on expensive centralized cryogenic LNG facilities or high-temperature steam-reforming plants, operators could deploy agile localized modules to convert stranded wellhead natural gas or portside natural gas from utility lines directly into liquid methanol.

Over time, that could shift the economics of marine bunkering, reduce industrial flaring, and help unlock a scalable supply chain for one of shipping's most promising alternative fuels.

The observatory has started a decade-long time-lapse using a 3200-megapixel camera surveying the southern sky to capture cosmic explosions, track asteroids, and map billions of distant galaxies.

According to IEA head Fatih Birol, global instability gives Canada a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a reliable energy export superpower.

• Geopolitical Edge: With critical global supply choke points facing disruptions, international buyers are willing to pay a premium for Canada's stable, low-risk energy.
• Nuclear Push: Canada will be the first G7 nation to deploy SMRs and aims to export its CANDU technology.
• Electricity Boom: Global electricity demand is growing 3x faster than overall energy demand, driven by soaring air conditioner sales (Canada is incentivizing heat pumps domestically) and AI data centres (Canada is also pushing for more of these).

Deep Sky’s pilot facility in Alberta successfully injected its first 14 tons of captured carbon underground, generating verified credits for buyers Microsoft and RBC by cleaning up past atmospheric emissions.

Modelling 1.8 B years of plate tectonics revealed deep mantle flows from ancient subduction zones weakened continental edges to form Earth's richest mineral deposits

A novel, metal-free liquid harvests energy from sources like light by transforming into a stable gel, storing power for months until it is exposed to oxygen and releases the energy on demand.

a Ewe-A-V