· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on BBC News or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Equatic, a Los Angeles-based startup, has developed a machine that captures atmospheric CO₂ and stores it in the ocean while producing green hydrogen
• The technology uses electrochemical processes to increase ocean alkalinity, enhancing CO₂ absorption and mitigating ocean acidification
• Equatic's pilot plant in the Port of Los Angeles has demonstrated the feasibility of this approach
🔭 The context: With global emissions persisting, scientists are exploring marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) as a method to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere
• The ocean naturally absorbs about a quarter of human-caused CO₂ emissions, but this contributes to ocean acidification
• Equatic's technology aims to enhance this natural process while producing green hydrogen, a clean energy source
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Combining CO₂ removal with green hydrogen production could address climate change and energy challenges simultaneously
• However, concerns exist about the ecological impacts of altering ocean chemistry and the scalability of such technologies
⏭️ What's next: Equatic plans to scale up its operations, aiming to remove 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ and produce around 100 tonnes of hydrogen annually
• The company is seeking partnerships and funding to expand its technology
💬 One quote: "We have a technology that does two things pretty well" - Edward Sanders, chief executive of Equatic. "One is we take CO₂ out of the atmosphere and we store that permanently. The second thing we do is produce green hydrogen"
📈 One stat: Equatic's process can durably store carbon in the ocean for thousands of years, according to the company and other marine carbon removal advocates
Click for more news covering the latest on carbon
