Carbon Capture Applications

Applications for the Energy Sector: 73% of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the energy sector (C2ES). Increasing the penetration of renewables in the energy sector is part of the solution. The other part, however, is reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide through carbon capture solutions.

 

Atoco’s solid-state carbon capture modules can help mitigate these emissions by capturing and separating CO₂  before it is released into the atmosphere. This technology enables the energy sector to reduce its carbon footprint and comply with emission reduction targets.

 

 

Applications for the Industrial Sector: 24% of global greenhouse gases are attributed to “energy in industry” whereas 5% is attributed to “industrial processes” (C2ES). A dual strategy is required to ensure that industrial plants increasingly rely on renewable energy sources while also decarbonize through the reduction of their emissions through carbon capture solutions.

 

Atoco develops solid-state carbon capture modules based on novel reticular-chemistry materials to optimize CO₂ capture solutions for the industrial sector. Our carbon capture technology enables several CCS solutions in the industrial sector. By utilizing Atoco’s carbon capture modules in the industrial sector, CCS applications can effectively reduce CO₂ emissions, comply with environmental regulations, and contribute to the transition to a more sustainable energy system.

 

In the oil and gas (O&G) industry, captured CO2 can be utilized for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a technique where CO2 is injected into oil and gas reservoirs to increase extraction efficiency. This not only provides a method to store carbon dioxide securely but also enhances the economic feasibility of carbon capture technology by creating additional revenue streams for oil and gas companies.

 

Advantages of our Technology in the Industrial & Energy Sector – Our Modules:

 

• Can be integrated into existing energy infrastructure with minimal modifications.
• Can be incorporated into flue gas treatment systems of power plants, refineries, and other industrial facilities without requiring substantial changes to the overall process.
• Rely on a technology with high capture efficiency, which reduces the energy requirements and costs associated with the separation of CO₂ from flue gases.
• Can be tailored to capture CO₂ from various energy sources, including fossil fuels, natural gas, and biomass. The tunable properties of our reticular materials allow for customization based on the characteristics of the specific energy source and associated emission profiles. This versatility makes them suitable for CCS applications across different energy sectors.
• Have been designed with robust structures and enhanced stability to withstand the demanding conditions of energy-related processes. This longevity reduces the need for frequent replacement and enhances the overall performance and economic viability of CCS systems.

Applications for Commercial & Residential Buildings Sector: By incorporating Atoco’s solid-state carbon capture modules into systems operating in residential and commercial sectors, CCS applications can contribute to reducing carbon emissions from buildings and advancing the adoption of sustainable practices in everyday life. In turn, this will also minimize the exposure to targeted carbon taxes. Our modules can support the post-combustion solutions in domestic and commercial buildings, capturing carbon dioxide from heating systems, boilers, and cooling systems. The high CO₂ selectivity of our novel adsorbent materials used in our modules, however, also makes them very effective in capturing and separating CO₂ directly from the atmosphere inside buildings, possibly in combination with HVAC systems.

 

Advantages of our Technology in the Commercial & Residential Sector – Our Modules:

• Can help reduce the carbon footprint of domestic and commercial buildings by capturing and storing CO₂ emissions generated from energy use.
• Can be integrated into existing building infrastructure and systems.
• Can be incorporated into ventilation systems or integrated into adsorption-based air cleaning devices to capture CO₂ directly from indoor air. This integration enables carbon capture at the source and facilitates the retrofitting of buildings for CCS applications.
• Can contribute to energy efficiency improvements in buildings, leveraging the unique properties of our carbon capture adsorbents.
• Reduces the load on downstream separation and air conditioning and purification processes, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the building, by capturing CO₂ directly from flue gases or exhaust streams of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• Can be used in modular and scalable carbon capture systems suitable for domestic and commercial applications. These systems can be sized to match the specific requirements of the building, allowing for flexibility in implementation and facilitating the deployment of CCS technology in a wide range of settings.
• Addresses health and safety concerns in the delicate environments of commercial and residential buildings. Our solid-state carbon capture modules are free of liquid chemicals, robust, durable, and safer to handle.

Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. The CO₂ can be permanently stored in deep geological formations, thereby achieving carbon dioxide removal. Capturing CO₂ from the air is more energy intensive and therefore expensive than capturing it from a point source. This is because the CO₂ in the atmosphere is much more diluted than, for example, in the flue gas of a power station or a cement plant. This contributes to the higher energy need and cost of DAC relative to other CO₂ capture technologies and applications. Consequently, innovative technologies are required to fulfill the potential of DAC. Atoco’s solid-state carbon capture modules are highly compatible with DAC applications.

 

Advantages of our Technology in Direct Atmospheric Carbon Capture Solutions – Our Modules:

 

• Are based on adsorbents that are designed to have high selectivity for CO₂ over other atmospheric gases, such as nitrogen and oxygen, even though our technology is based on solid-state adsorbents.
• Utilizes our robust and durable solid-state adsorbents that can be reused tens of thousands of times, enabling a new era of cost efficiency for DAC solutions.
• Are solid-state; the solid-state nature of our DAC technology minimizes the health and safety concerns commonly associated with liquid-based DAC materials, which will lead to expanding the use cases and players in the DAC space.

While carbon capture has traditionally focused on large-scale industrial emissions, there is growing interest in capturing CO₂ directly from mobile sources to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors, in particular the transportation sector.

 

CO₂ capture from car exhausts and vehicles is an emerging application of carbon capture technologies. Even though the concept of capturing CO₂ from vehicle exhausts is promising, there are challenges to consider.

 

With Atoco’s innovative adsorbent-based modules, feasible solutions could be provided to address the challenges associated with carbon capture applications in the transportation sector. As our materials have high selectivity, adsorption capacity, regenerable properties, tuneability, and flexibility, they could be used to solve integration issues associated with vehicle exhaust carbon capture technologies. These technologies are still in the early stages.