Equatic, the largest carbon capture and storage plant based in the ocean, is on its way and promises real change. However, environmentalists warn it could harm marine life.
Developed by a start-up from the University of California in Los Angeles and located in west Singapore, Equatic takes CO2 out of seawater and turns it into solid minerals that are believed to be able to then safely sink to the ocean floor or be used elsewhere. The treated seawater will be returned to the ocean, ready to absorb more CO2 from the air.
The developers note that the advantage of this technology is that it not only removes CO2 but also helps to reduce ocean acidification – another side effect of carbon accumulation.
Gaurav Sant, an Equatic founder and UCLA sustainability professor, explained that all the processing will happen onshore.
“This is key because it lets us accurately measure everything, including the plant’s electricity use and the carbon captured,” he said.
Edward Sanders, Chief Operating Officer of Equatic, commented that the US$200-million-worth facility is expected to be fully functional by the end of 2024. Once it is up and running, it will have the capacity to capture 3,650 metric tons of CO2 annually, which is about the same as taking 870 typical passenger cars off the road. The goal is to scale this up to remove 100,000 metric tons of CO2 per year by the end of 2026, with the long-term vision of eventually capturing millions of metric tons in the coming decades.
While projects like Equatic offer hope, they are not without criticism. Lili Fuhr, Director at the Center for International Environmental Law, warns that processing large amounts of seawater could damage marine life as thousands of these plants would be necessary to make a real difference to global emissions.
James Niffenegger, a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has also raised concerns. He explained that moving water on this scale would be significant and has the potential to disrupt ocean chemistry. He acknowledged that while a lot is known about the dangers of acidification, less is understood about the impact of making the ocean more alkaline.
Carbon capture and storage technologies are gaining increasing attention as the world is facing a climate emergency. Unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut, global warming could exceed 2.9°C by the end of this century.
