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Carbon removal system to be installed at Port of Los Angeles

Project leaders

The project involves the collaboration between Captura, a carbon removal company founded at Caltech, AltaSea an ocean science, business, and education hub at the Port of Los Angeles and SoCalGas, the Southern California Gas Company which has funded the project.

Description of the project

Captura, a company specializing in Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology, has unveiled its latest system, a significant evolution from its initial pilot in Newport Beach, California. The new system, funded by the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), can capture 100 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the ocean annually.

DOC Capture technology uses renewable energy and electrodialysis to directly capture CO2 from seawater for later use. When seawater returns to the ocean with the CO2 removed, it is capable of absorbing the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere that was originally removed, according to Captura.

The company emphasizes that its solution has no by-products and does not harm the ocean. Captura will collaborate with AltaSea, an ocean science center, to conduct technology research and testing, validate the system’s efficiency, and assess its effects on the marine ecosystem and ocean acidification mitigation.

Objectives of the project

The aim of the project is to capture seawater’s CO2 so that when the CO2-depleted seawater is returned back to the ocean, it is capable of absorbing the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere that was originally removed.

Trrough testing and research at AltaSea’s facility they will validate and improve the efficiency of the DOC system. The project also focuses on evaluating the environmental impact of the technology on the marine ecosystem and its potential for mitigating ocean acidification. Feasibility studies for commercial deployment will be conducted, and the collaboration with SoCalGas will provide support for the project. Ultimately, the project aims to advance the development of the DOC technology, enabling effective carbon capture while minimizing harm to the environment.