Technological innovation in the field of renewable energy is very important to face current environmental challenges. The company Equatic has developed a new method for producing hydrogen from seawater. This method is notable for its ability to do so without producing chlorine, a harmful byproduct often associated with this process. In addition to its potential to generate a clean energy source, this technology offers a unique solution to combat climate change by simultaneously removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the depths of the ocean.
A new solution to an old problem
Equatic has developed innovative technology to extract hydrogen from seawater without generating harmful chlorine. This is a challenge that electrochemists have been trying to overcome since the 1970s. This advance facilitates both the commercial production of hydrogen and the removal of carbon dioxide. The company recently began manufacturing the anodes at a facility in San Diego, as Heatmap reports.
Equatic’s system is based on the electrolysis of seawater. It is a process that produces hydrogen while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide from the air. This process then separates the seawater into two distinct flows: an acidic flow and an alkaline flow. The alkaline flow captures atmospheric carbon dioxide and then transforms it into a stable molecule.
Advantages of this method of removing carbon dioxide to produce hydrogen from seawater
This method of eliminating carbon dioxide therefore offers two main advantages:
It allows a more precise assessment of the quantity of carbon dioxide captured, compared to techniques applied on the high seas.
The process generates pure hydrogen, which can help offset costs associated with removing carbon dioxide.
From laboratory to factory
Equatic has tested its concept in two small pilot projects, located in the Port of Los Angeles and in Singapore. These installations have removed approximately 100 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the air while producing several kilograms of hydrogen each day.
The new San Diego factory, for its part, will initially be able to manufacture 4,000 anodes per year. It should therefore be fully operational by the end of 2024.
These anodes will be used in Equatic’s first large-scale demonstration project, which will be a new facility in Singapore, aiming to remove 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide and produce 300 kilograms of hydrogen daily.
Equatic plans even bigger plant to produce hydrogen from seawater
In addition, the company plans to build an even larger facility in Quebec. This installation will be capable of eliminating 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide per day. This is about three times the capacity of the largest current direct air carbon capture facility.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a carbon-rich resource on our planet. Its concentration in the ocean reaches around 100 milligrams per liter.
This is almost 140 times more than that present in the air. A small fraction of this CO2 dissolved in seawater is transformed into carbonic acid (2 to 3%). While the majority is in the form of bicarbonate (96 to 97%) and carbonate (1%).
