The search for a sustainable, renewable energy source will never come to an end; the situation conceals significant risks whose answer is notoriously complex to identify. Reservoirs and hydroelectric dams, for example, are regarded as one of the oldest forms of renewable energy, although they are responsible for the release of nearly one billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
These hidden emissions therefore make hydropower less sustainable than previously thought. Nevertheless, the problem may be solvable: Louise Parlons Bentata, chief executive and co-founder of Bluemethane, is developing technology that can capture methane emitted from reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants.
Bentata stressed that, in designing the technology, the least possible use of energy has always been the priority - the intent is to remove as much methane as possible without burdening the environment.