SeaO2 raises over two million euros in investment for extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from seawater. By removing CO2 from seawater and returning carbon-free water to the ocean, the Dutch startup aims to make this water absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere.
SeaO₂ is a Dutch startup founded in 2021. The basis for the startup's technology is technology developed by Delft University of Technology and laboratories at Wetsus, a European Centre of Excellence for sustainable water technology. SeaO₂'s mission is to protect the planet from further warming by reducing CO₂ concentrations in the ocean and indirectly in the air. In this way, it aims to limit global temperature rise, combat ocean acidification and promote biodiversity.
Direct Ocean Capture technology
The startup developed the 'Direct Ocean Capture' technique. It extracts CO₂ from seawater through electrochemistry and green energy. By removing CO₂ from the water, SeaO₂ aims to make the ocean absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere. This will help reduce the amount of CO2 in the air and thus should combat ocean acidification.
Direct Ocean Capture technology works without adding chemicals and requires little land use. The technology is suitable for integration into existing infrastructures such as water cooling systems or wastewater treatment plants. The CO2 it removes from seawater can be stored for permanent disposal, but can also be used for industrial applications. These include the production of renewable fuels, concrete and other materials.
Multiple steps
The process consists of several steps:
- An electric current is applied to produce acid and base, which are effectively separated by the bipolar membranes.
- Acid is used to shift the CO2 balance in a larger water stream and CO₂ is pulled out using vacuum.
- The decarbonised water is deacidified with the base and returned to the ocean.
- CO₂ from the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean surface where the decarbonised water is discharged.
- CO₂ is converted into products, for example permanently mineralised in concrete or used as a raw material for alternative fuels (such as green methanol).
Prototype on Afsluitdijk
SeaO2 already built a prototype plant on the Afsluitdijk, aiming to test and further develop the technology. This prototype is capable of extracting one kiloton of CO2 from seawater on an annual basis.
SeaO₂ eventually wants to realise large-scale CO₂ capture and gradually increase capacity. It wants to remove 2.5 kilotonnes of CO2 from seawater by 2025, growing to 25 kilotonnes by 2026. The target for 2030 is one megaton of CO2.
More information about SeaO2 can be found here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
