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Climate Change

Japan eyes undersea 'fire ice' as source of clean-burning hydrogen

Oil platform maker Modec looks to strike gold as it tests methane hydrates extraction

Modec produces floating units for deepsea drilling of petroleum and natural gas. (Photo courtesy of Modec)

TOKYO -- Deep down on the ocean's floor lies a sherbet-like substance that could revolutionize the way the Japan consumes energy, but there's just one problem: extracting the fuel from the dark depths of the seas.

One Japanese company believes it has the solution. Modec, a maker of offshore oil platforms, has plans to develop a system that is designed to extract methane hydrate, also known as "fire ice," from the ocean bottom and become a source of clean-burning hydrogen.

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