#Part4CM Climate change is one of the factors that prompts the transition to alternative energy sources

The RO-UA Partnership for Climate Change Mitigation project aims to promote this area of activity. In search of alternative energy sources, Europe is testing the production of natural gas from solar and wind energy. Several European companies are currently testing the Underground Sun Conversion system, which is based on the use of solar energy to produce methane underground. The solution is being developed as part of an EU project involving several organizations from Austria and Switzerland. The unique method reproduces the process of natural gas production in natural conditions, but compresses it in time by millions of times.

The production cycle begins in summer, on the surface. The energy generated by solar panels and wind turbines is used to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. This hydrogen, along with carbon dioxide, is then pumped into porous limestone and empty gas storage facilities at depths of up to 1000 meters. There, in a relatively short time, microorganisms known as archaea naturally emerge and use hydrogen and CO2 in their metabolism, converting them into methane and water. The methane is then pumped back to the surface, where it is used as the main component of carbon-neutral gas during the winter months. In general, the entire cycle of producing natural gas from excess energy from solar and wind generation takes several months.

The RO-UA Partnership for Climate Change Mitigation project is funded by the European Union through the European Neighborhood Instrument and co-financed by the countries participating in the Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 ENI CBC Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 Program.