UCLA is working with Singapore’s national water agency to build the world’s largest ocean-based carbon dioxide removal facility. The development will be able to utilize 3,650 tons of greenhouse gases per year, converting them into 105 tons of hydrogen.
In 2020, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reached 4.3 tons per capita. Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have put this question on the agenda to create technology that can capture CO2 from the oceans to reduce its emissions.
The development uses seawater electrolysis technology to capture CO2 and produce hydrogen without a carbon footprint. In fact, it enhances the oceans’ ability to act as “natural reservoirs” of CO2, offering a concrete solution to climate problems.
The Equatic installation uses an electric current passed through seawater. As a result of electrolysis, a chemical reaction is formed that can break water into its components – hydrogen and oxygen. The CO2 is stored as a solid based on calcium and magnesium. The process of removing dissolved carbon will allow the oceans to absorb more greenhouse gases.
The authors of the project successfully launched two pilot systems for removing CO2 from seawater in Los Angeles and Singapore. Now plans are underway to build a large-scale Equatic-1 plant. The work will be carried out in two stages. Already in March, it is planned to use one technological module, the capacity of which is designed to remove one metric ton of CO2 per day. It is planned to reach this figure by the end of 2024.
The installation of nine additional modules is planned for early 2025, which will mark the completion of the second stage. At this capacity, Equatic-1 will be able to remove ten tons of CO2 from seawater and produce up to 300 kg of carbon-negative hydrogen per day. Investments in the project will amount to 20 million US dollars.