FortisBC announced the first installation March 15 of a new CleanO2 carbon capture unit at LUSH Cosmetics headquarters in Vancouver.
The pilot program uses “first-in-the-world” technology that captures carbon released from commercial-sized boilers and furnaces, which would otherwise be vented into the atmosphere, and turns it into sodium bicarbonate (soda ash), a versatile mineral used to make pharmaceuticals and manufacture glass as well as soap. In addition, the unit enables energy savings by taking the extra energy produced and redistributing it for heating needs around the building.
The carbon capture process can allow customers to reduce up to 13 tonnes of carbon emissions per unit per year. The technology also decreases energy consumption by up to 10 per cent depending on the boiler or furnace size.
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Abbotsford is scheduled as the next location for an installation as part of FortisBC’s carbon capture pilot program.
For more information on the technology, visit fortisbc.com/carboncapture.
Then, on April 9 Carbon Upcycling Technologies (CUT), a Calgary-based cleantech company, announced that it had been named one of 10 finalists in the prestigious NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition. The Carbon XPRIZE is a 20 million dollar global competition designed to develop breakthrough technologies that profitably convert harmful CO2 emissions into high-value products like building materials and alternative fuels. CUT is one of four Canadian teams left in the competition.
CUT’s proprietary process combines waste CO2 gas with solid feedstock to produce stable nanoparticles that can be used to strengthen materials like plastic and concrete. To reach the finals, CUT had to prove to a third party that they could capture 20 kg of CO2 per day, improving their results 100 times over their first-round XPRIZE submission in 2016. They have been awarded US$500,000 for their efforts.
Industry response will determine CUT’s chances at a coveted winning spot in the next round. Companies will be judged again on daily volume of CO2 capture, but also on the profitability of their product.