The rising CO2 removing know-how of Direct Ocean Seize (DOC) has been validated for business deployment by vitality large Equinor in what’s claimed as a serious step ahead for the tactic, introduced on 12 November.
A lot as its counterpart, the extra broadly explored CO2-removal methodology Direct Air Seize (DAC) removes carbon dioxide from the environment, DOC removes it instantly from seawater. Because the ocean incorporates rather more CO2 (dissolved) than the environment, commentators have steered it is perhaps extra environment friendly and decrease price than DAC.1
Working with startup Captura, Equinor stated the 2 corporations had efficiently accomplished a joint know-how qualification program, validating Captura’s DOC system which makes use of seawater and renewable vitality as its solely inputs.
The system appears to work like a desalination plant, in a single description,2 drawing in seawater, with 1% of it being processed by a proprietary system of electrodialysis, a course of already utilized in desalination and different industries. Captura’s course of, bipolar-membrane electrodialysis, makes use of a stack of ion-exchange membranes and electrical energy to separate salt water into acid and base.3 The acid is transferred to the remaining seawater the place it reacts with bicarbonate ions to kind gaseous CO2 that bubbles out, and is extracted.
The water is then returned, and since its CO₂ content material has been lowered, it’ll draw extra CO₂ from the environment.
It’s described as a scalable and complementary strategy to present carbon administration options.
Over the previous two years, Equinor and Captura have collaborated carefully to advance this strategy, most lately evaluating the system’s design, operational stability, and efficiency throughout sustained operations.4
This effort culminated in “a rigorous, year-long qualification program at a joint 1,000-ton-per-year pilot facility in Kona, Hawaii”. This system examined the system in opposition to 20 crucial efficiency metrics, together with security, operational reliability, CO₂ removing effectivity, and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) “to make sure the know-how meets the best requirements for business deployment”.
“This collaborative effort has not solely de-risked the know-how but additionally demonstrated its scalability by means of established take a look at plans and milestones” stated Lionel Ribeiro, Carbon Removing Supervisor at Equinor. “Captura’s capacity to draw a various coalition of strategic companions additional underscores the scaling potential.”
Captura is now assessing potential websites for its first commercial-scale DOC venture. Design is already underway for a facility that captures between 30,000 and 50,000 tons of CO₂ yearly, with a number of high-graded areas into consideration in Europe, the UK, and Asia-Pacific.
“This milestone with Equinor is a crucial step in bringing direct ocean seize to market,” stated Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura. “Equinor’s deep experience as a worldwide vitality chief introduced the rigor and demanding perspective wanted to validate our know-how in opposition to the demanding requirements required for large-scale deployment. We enormously worth their partnership all through this course of and as we proceed to organize for business roll-out.”
Notes
[1] https://www.weforum.org/tales/2024/10/direct-ocean-capture-carbon-removal-technology/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2] https://spectrum.ieee.org/direct-ocean-carbon-capture?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[3] https://capturacorp.com/electrodialysis/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[4] Press launch, “Equinor and Captura validate Direct Ocean Seize for business deployment”, acquired on 12 November.
