– Why can’t we just ‘produce’ gasoline, like synthetically?

Question

– Why can’t we just ‘produce’ gasoline, like synthetically?

In: 439

Answer 1

We can, but we don’t do it at scale because the processes used to extract the hydrogen and the carbon that make up hydrocarbons require a lot of power, and until that power is coming from entirely clean sources like renewable energy or nuclear energy then you’re just making more expensive gas.

On the flipside though if all hydrocarbons burned was synthetic it would be a more or less carbon neutral cycle, as in not putting in extra carbon in the atmosphere.