Equatic, a California-based startup, is testing new technology that simultaneously removes carbon dioxide from the ocean and the air while producing hydrogen as a fuel alternative.
As detailed by Bloomberg, the company is starting to build a new plant in Singapore to scale its process of carbon removal to help offset its own pollution. Once finished, the plant will have the capacity to capture approximately 3,650 metric tons (4,023 tons) of carbon dioxide per year while also generating more than 100 tons of hydrogen annually.
Equatic's technology assists our planet in two important ways. First, it helps by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air and the ocean, which is important because too much of the gas causes the Earth to overheat. Second, it makes hydrogen, a type of fuel that doesn't pollute as much as dirty fuels like oil or gas.
What's special about Equatic is that it does both of these things together.
Hydrogen is often touted as clean energy, especially when it's produced using renewable sources like wind or solar power. When we use these clean sources to generate hydrogen fuel through a process called electrolysis (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen), the only byproduct is water.
While Equatic's endeavor holds promise, it will be important for them to test the technology under many conditions. The new demonstration plant in Singapore will be used to test if the systems can hold up with seawater, which is more damaging than the pure water it has been using so far.
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"Because all these systems have very high [capital expenditure], particularly in the early stages, they need to prove that they can be resilient to some pretty dirty inputs," said Mark Daly, BloombergNEF's head of technology and innovation.
By diversifying clean energy sources, reducing carbon pollution, and fostering technological innovation, Equatic appears to be demonstrating a tangible pathway toward a sustainable future.
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