Hydrolytic Softening of Ocean Water for Carbon Dioxide Removal

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Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$500,000
Location:
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
05/21/2021 - 11/20/2022

Technology Description:

Hydrolytic softening is a lower-cost process to remove CO2 from the oceans. It has similarities to processes at conventional water treatment facilities, which mix hydrated lime to “soften” water by precipitating dissolved inorganic carbon as calcium carbonate. In hydrolytic softening, however, instead of a consumptive use of lime, the calcium carbonate is decomposed. This releases CO2 gas for sequestration or industrial use and regenerates the lime for continued cycles of carbon removal. Hydrolytic softening can reduce energy input costs for CO2 removal by 77% compared to state-of-the-art methods based on sodium chloride salt splitting using bipolar membrane electrodialysis.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Simon Freeman
Project Contact:
Dr. Christopher Martin
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
cmartin@undeerc.org

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