Photo Credit: Alex Mead
Pictured above is a flare, common to many industrial complexes around the world. The purpose of a flare is to burn off unwanted gases, such as methane, which could pose a threat of explosion if they were allowed to collect. The flare may seem like a waste of energy, but unfortunately it is not economical to actually capture this gas and use it. However, as fuel prices rise, this uneconomical gas is becoming viable and in turn being captured and used by many flare operators.