New catalyst makes climate-neutral methane from CO2 and water: synthetic natural gas breakthrough

Researchers have developed a new material that can convert carbon dioxide and water into methane, offering a potential route to climate-neutral synthetic natural gas. The catalyst works through an unexpected reaction pathway, producing methane without the high energy penalties typical of previous methods. This could allow industries that rely on natural gas to switch to a synthetic alternative that does not add new CO2 to the atmosphere. If scaled, the technology would let chemical plants and power generators use existing gas infrastructure while keeping emissions in a closed loop. The key challenge is whether the process can be made efficient enough to compete with fossil natural gas on cost. The research team is now working on improving the catalyst's stability and reaction rates for commercial applications.