China has recently discovered major deposits of combustible ice on the tundra of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. According to the researchers, this new source of low-emission fuel could power China for 90 years.
The new deposits of combustible ice equal at least 35 billion tons of oil, being one of the newest sources of clean energy to be discovered. This natural gas hydrate known as “combustible ice” is mainly found in deep seas and high altitude frozen plateaus.
About one cubic meter of “combustible ice” equals 164 cubic meters of regular natural gas, having just a few impurities, which means that the fuel can be combusted with lower emissions.
Researchers claim the natural gas hydrates can literally be lit on fire. They also expect that the hydrate will have to go through a phase change and melt it into water and release the methane before it can be efficiently combusted. Provincial Governor Luo Huining said that this new energy resource should have a high priority in China’s energy strategy.
[Source: Ecofriend]
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