California-based ocean carbon removal company Captura, has started operations at its latest pilot plant, capable of capturing 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
The Kona, Hawaii facility, developed in partnership with multinational energy company Equinor, removes CO2 from the upper ocean using technology based on electrodialysis and gas extraction methods. The company said its ocean carbon removal technology leverages natural oceanic processes, requires no feedstock and generates no waste.
The ocean is one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, absorbing approximately 30% of global CO2 emissions. CO2 is acidic and an overabundance can seriously harm ocean ecosystems. Captura said removing CO2 from the ocean enables the ocean to absorb more from the atmosphere.
Captured CO2 can be used for a variety of things–such as as an ingredient to renewable fuels or other products–although it is sometimes used to extract more fossil fuels from the ground. Captura said the CO2 captured at its plant in Hawaii will be provided to a range of local industries, such as aquaculture operators, to help reduce the carbon intensity of their operations.
The company said it has successfully demonstrated its modular technologies at two prior pilot plants in Los Angeles, and the Hawaii pilot will now validate them at the scale and performance level that can be replicated in larger plants. Captura is proceeding with initial design work for its first large-scale commercial facility, with an expected annual capture capacity of tens of thousands of tons of CO2.
“This facility in Hawaii is the last milestone before we move to widespread commercial deployment of DOC technology,” said Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura. “Its rapid installation and commissioning in just over two months demonstrates how our simple, modular design is ready to be scaled quickly to help address the urgent climate and energy challenge.”
