A device invented by the company Carbono Brasil and the Federal University of Santa Catarina captures carbon dioxide and methane generated by industry and turns the gases into inputs for other productive activities. The Clean Gas device is installed in factory exhaust systems and breaks down the molecules of the greenhouse-effect gases, separating oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, as well as carbon and sulfur solids, which can be used to generate energy or produce dyes or accessories for vehicles, among other potential uses.

The process “doesn't produce any type of residue or contaminant,” Rui Müller, Carbono Brasil director, told Tierramérica. The firm is installing the device at a small diesel-fueled power plant in Goiania, capital of the central state of Goiás.

The profitability of the device varies according to the size of the project, but “it's a lot,” because it incorporates environmental benefits and the reutilization of all the gases.