Ecospray, an Italian company specialising in integrated solutions for decarbonisation, including exhaust gas cleaning, and part of the Carnival cruise group, intends to take part as a technical supplier in a pilot project to capture CO2 from seawater.
The company will provide CO2 liquefaction technologies to Captura, a US-based company founded at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and focused on carbon removal via the oceans. Captura has partnered with Equinor to build a 1,000t/yr CO2 capture pilot system at Equinor’s processing facility in Kårstø, on the west coast of Norway. Ecospray is scheduled to deliver the pilot’s CO2 liquefaction system in the third quarter of 2024.
Once captured, after water removal, the CO2 will be liquefied and purified using Ecospray’s system, before being used for the commissioning of the Northern Lights CO2 transport and storage facilities. The Ecospray CO2 liquefaction is based on the water removal, cooling and subsequent distillation of the CO2, optimising energy consumption and concentration to obtain the required high-level purity.
The oceans are said to absorb about 30% of global CO2 emissions; thus, they perform a valuable ‘buffering’ action that limits global warming. At the same time, the steady increase in CO2 produced by anthropogenic activities and the resulting increased uptake by the oceans are acidifying waters and interfering with ecosystems. It is therefore considered essential to develop technologies that can remove CO2 from the ocean and atmosphere. Captura’s DOC technology works in this direction.
Giorgio Copelli, Director of Sales and Marketing, Ecospray said: “We are strongly committed to innovative and concretely revolutionary challenges. The Captura project has all the characteristics of this. Ecospray is proud to be part of it as a technology’s provider. The capture of CO2 from seawater is an advancing area but one with great potential that can concretely support decarbonisation. Our liquefaction systems are flexible, and we operate in different sectors, always offering cutting-edge technologies. Being chosen for such a significant project is a great certificate of esteem from the market.”
Image: Giorgio Copelli, Director of Sales & Marketing Ecospray (source: Ecospray)
