Harnessing the Ocean's Potential for Carbon Capture

You know it, I know it, everyone's heard the buzz: climate change is a big deal, and we're all scouting around for the heavy-hitters that'll keep our planet in the safe zone. Recently, it's been all about hoovering CO2 straight outta the air. But what if I told you the latest tech isn't looking up for solutions, but down under the ocean's surface?

I stumbled across this brain tickler—why just focus on the air when there's a whole ocean that's packed with carbon? It's dense as, and it turns out the seawater carbon is about 150 times more concentrated than that in our atmosphere. Some clever folks have asked the same question and found a way that might just be more streamlined than air capture. It's simple: more carbon in the water means less energy needed to snag it.

Let's sail over to Amsterdam, where a company named Brineworks is flexing with their seawater electrolysis technology. They're talking big game, saying they can nab CO2 for less than a hundred bucks per ton. That's sustainability shopping on a budget, especially when you toss it next to the usual $230 to $630 price tag for catchin' it from the air.

Money talks, and it's speaking volumes with Brineworks scoring a sweet $2.2 million in funding. These are not just pennies from the piggy bank; they're legit checks signed by the serious investment types who bet on game-changers.

Here's the kicker: climate scientists have been drumming into our heads that steady the ship, lads; we've got to keep global warming below that pesky 1.5° C mark. Layman's terms? It's the difference between "Phew, pretty warm today, huh?" and "Holy smokes, was that another hurricane?" Tipping the scales the wrong way could turn this floating rock into an all-you-can-eat buffet of cataclysmic weather nightmares. And trust me, we've seen enough with the wreckage down south to know it's not just hype.

With their deep dive into direct ocean capture (DOC), Brineworks is betting on a hattrick: sustainable, scalable, and cheap. Their CEO, Gudfinnur Sveinsson, yapped it out over a call that there's something big brewing in the ocean's depths. And the cherry on top? As they're busy pulling out carbon, they're whipping up green hydrogen that could turn into a nice little earner on the side. Now, isn't that a crafty twist?

Ever dreamed of making sustainable oil with nothing but seawater and some bolts of renewable electricity? Brineworks reckons they're onto it. Big talk, sure, but they've got backers nodding along, like the investment squad at Pale Blue Dot throwing their chips in.

The open waters of invention are getting pretty crowded, though. There's Caltech-originated Calcarea doing a jig with technology that snags carbon on cargo ships and turns it into ocean salts. And don't forget Captura, hauling in $34.5 million from investors and sharing the same ocean wave as Brineworks.

Now, for the proof in the pudding: Brineworks is mooring up at the Canary Islands to stage their pilot act, aiming to bag a ton of carbon weekly. If they nail it, it's high-fives and anchor's aweigh for the next phase of climate tech.

So, where does this ocean frolic leave you, the potential investor, or the tech energy buff with a thirst for the next big splash? If you're banking on green, this could well be your treasure chest at the bottom of the sea. As we're crisscrossing the globe on a quest for climate turnaround, those sea-loving techies might just be on the brink of turning tides.

Say you're sitting there, mind drifting off about the big blue. A question bubbles up: "Is this ocean tech legit going to reshape our approach to carbon chucking?" Well, mate, the currents seem to be pulling in that direction. As we face down climate woes and itch for breakthroughs, Brineworks and its sea-savvy peers may offer that gulp of fresh air we're desperate for—filtered through saltwater, of course.

So, cap off, folks. If science and innovation had a love child, this ocean capture genius might be it. Just when you thought you'd seen all the tricks up our planet-saving sleeves, the ocean pulls you back in, ready to show there's still uncharted waters ahead.

And just like any savvy traveler keeping a map in their back pocket, here's where you can chart the course of this unfolding maritime saga:

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2889430