To reach the United Nations’ net zero target by 2050, we need to change the way we make hydrocarbon fuels and ramp-up carbon dioxide removal by our oceans to the scale of global industry.
Our electrolyzer is the key enabler for both these tasks. It unlocks affordable production of e-fuels, but it's also key to achieving gigaton scale CO2 removal.
Decentralized fuel production
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The world runs on hydrocarbons. The heavy shipping and aviation industries will be incredibly difficult to electrify, and aviation may never reach this goal completely. Our process delivers both of the building blocks (CO2 and H2) for e-methanol, e-methane, sustainable aviation fuel and e-diesel. Those are the most promising sustainable fuels for heavy transport that cannot be completely electrified.
Our technology unlocks affordable and decentralized fuel production. More than half of the total cost of extracting CO2 and H2 from seawater comes from the electrolysis step and we are rapidly decreasing that cost. The modular nature of our technology is a game changer for industries that currently rely on geopolitical supply chains of dirty fossil fuels - now we can make sustainable fuels anywhere there’s seawater.
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Maritime
Maritime shipping accounts for 3% of global emissions. The problem with decarbonizing this industry is that long-haul shipping infrastructure and economics are completely reliant on the high energy density provided by fossil fuels. The result is that we cannot easily replace liquid fuels over the next decades, if ever. But we can make them carbon neutral by using Brineworks' direct ocean capture system to provide the feedstocks directly to shipping e-fuel producers, right at the ports of production.
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Aviation
Keeping large commercial and cargo planes in the air requries a massive amount of energy relative to the weight of the plane, and long haul flights can not be electrified any time soon. The solution to decarbonizing this industry is therefore to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), but this is currently far too expensive to be practically implemented. The technology and infrastructure exists to make SAFs, but the CO2 and H2 feedstocks it requires are still far too expensive. That's what Brineworks' technology addresses.
Ocean-based CO2 removal
In order to reach the UN’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050, it is essential that ocean-based carbon dioxide removal technologies are ready for widespread adoption and cost effectiveness.
Currently, the two frontrunning methods for taking carbon dioxide out of our oceans are too costly to achieve the scale required to meet the UN’s targets. Both Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) and Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) employ electrochemical seawater treatment processes that entail high energy and equipment costs. Brinework’s technology is bringing down this cost, and supports both of these methods.
Our technology is versatile, supporting both OAE and DOC methods with a modular design that scales easily and cost-effectively to fit various project sizes.
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DOC
Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) is a method that chemically removes CO2 from seawater.
Seawater is electrolyzed to create an acid and base stream. The acid stream is added to seawater in a closed system, which enables CO2 removal from the seawater. After the CO2 is removed, the base stream is added to the seawater to restore its pH balance before it is released back into the open ocean. This technique directly reduces atmospheric CO2 by tapping into the ocean's natural ability to capture and store carbon. The seawater-removed CO2 can be stored in geological formations or mineralized in building materials to ensure permanence.
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OAE
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) boosts the ocean's capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2 by increasing seawater alkalinity.
Seawater is processed to create an acid and base stream. The base stream is added to the ocean, which dissolves and raises the water's alkalinity, allowing it to hold more CO2 in a stable, dissolved form. This method helps in lowering atmospheric CO2 and combats ocean acidification, enhancing the ocean's role as a natural carbon sink. The acid stream is neutralized with abundant ultramafic rocks.