How to Survive at Point Nemo? Fischer–Tropsch, Artificial Photosynthesis, and Plasma Catalysis for Sustainable Energy at Isolated Habitats

Abstract

Inhospitable, inaccessible, and extremely remote alike the famed pole of inaccessibility, aka Point Nemo, the isolated locations in deserts, at sea, or in outer space are difficult for humans to settle, let alone to thrive in. Yet, they present a unique set of opportunities for science, economy, and geopolitics that are difficult to ignore. One of the critical challenges for settlers is the stable supply of energy both to sustain a reasonable quality of life, as well as to take advantage of the local opportunities presented by the remote environment, e.g., abundance of a particular resource. The possible solutions to this challenge are heavily constrained by the difficulty and prohibitive cost of transportation to and from such a habitat (e.g., a lunar or Martian base). In this essay, the advantages and possible challenges of integrating Fischer–Tropsch, artificial photosynthesis, and plasma catalysis into a robust, scalable, and efficient self-contained system for energy harvesting, storage, and utilization are explored.