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The discovery of graphene by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, for which they won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics ( details at Nobel.org and at Graphene-Info) may be the most significant non-medical scientific event since the discovery or invention of the transistor in 1947. Graphene is a two-dimensional lattice of carbon – think of a flexible and one atom thick flat diamond – with very interesting physical and quantum properties.

And it may change the world.

Graphene Manufacturing Company, GMG, stock symbol GMGMF, which is based in Australia, has figured out how to make batteries out of graphene, a form of carbon, and aluminum. More details are here.

GMG uses methane as a source of carbon. The company started with 4 engineers and an accountant. The engineers left Shell, where they were working with methane, CH4, to work on Graphene, C 1000. Or C1,000,000. The accountant left Deutesche Bank to be the CFO of GMG.

Part 2: Scientists at KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, in Germany, have figured out how to make graphene out of carbon dioxide. (Click here).

Aluminum and carbon dioxide are, duh, cheaper and easier to find than lithium.

GMG is starting with “coin” batteries, which are literally the size and shape of coins, and “pouch” batteries,” the form currently used in cell phones, tablets, and laptop computers, along with other small devices.

If or when they or a competitor scale their batteries to the size used in cars and now utility scale energy storage, it will be the last nail in the coffin of fossil fuels.