The facility is located in Kona, Hawaii, and developed in partnership with multinational energy company Equinor.
Captura
The California-based carbon removal company, Captura, has announced the start of operations at its latest pilot plant in Kona, Hawaii, aimed at helping address the climate and energy challenge for aquaculture operators.
This is the third and final pilot plant in Captura's technology development program, called Direct Ocean Capture (DOC), a process that uses the ocean to remove excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
This project will conclude with Captura's first large-scale commercial facility, with an annual capture capacity of 1,000 tons of CO2.
"This facility in Hawaii is the last milestone before we move to widespread commercial deployment of DOC technology. 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," said Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura.
DOC technology works by extracting CO2 directly from the upper ocean layer, one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. In this way, it enhances the ocean's natural ability to absorb additional CO2 from the atmosphere.
It combines innovations in electrodialysis and gas extraction with systems for water and gas management. Additionally, it eliminates the need for feedstock and waste.
As Captura explains, the extracted CO2 is delivered as a measurable stream of pipeline-purity CO2 gas, which can then be used as feedstock to produce renewable fuels or utilized by industries that require this gas.
In the Hawaii plant, the captured CO2 will be used by local industries, such as aquaculture operators, to help reduce the carbon intensity of their operations.
