Irish Company Unveils Groundbreaking Innovations in Carbon Capture Tech

NEG8 Carbon, a Waterford-based leader in carbon capture technology, announces significant technology upgrades to its Direct Air Capture (DAC) system.

These innovations improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the NEG8 Carbon DAC system.

The system works by drawing in large quantities of air and passing them over sophisticated sorbent materials, specifically designed to attract and hold CO2 molecules on their surface as ambient air passes through the DAC units. The captured CO2 can then be permanently and safely stored underground or turned into climate-neutral carbon products, such as sustainable aviation fuel.

The latest NEG8 Carbon innovations focus on a revolutionary approach to the deployment of sorbents. These are materials used to capture CO?. Traditionally, sorbents are packed into thick beds, requiring substantial amounts to be effective. However, NEG8 Carbon’s latest innovation reduces the quantity of sorbent needed by 80%.

This change also speeds up the CO? capture and release process, cutting regeneration time by 90%, which means a much more efficient system.

Meanwhile, a second key innovation advances the heat exchange process within the DAC system. It enables much faster heat transfer as it optimises heat transfer to the sorbent material, improving the efficiency of the sorbent’s regeneration process and increasing CO? uptake by 50%.

Energy consumption is also reduced by over 20%, making the DAC system more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

According to NEG8 Carbon, the key to the widespread adoption of DAC technology is the cost per tonne of CO? captured, and this technology breakthrough allows NEG8 Carbon to drive down this cost.

“As the global community strives to combat climate change, reducing carbon emissions is important, but it is only part of the solution. Equally important is removing existing carbon dioxide (CO?) from the atmosphere. Direct Air Capture technology plays a crucial role in this effort by capturing CO? directly from the air, offering a scalable solution to help meet global net-zero targets.” Dr John Breen, CTO of NEG8 Carbon, explains.

“These innovations are making significant improvements to our Direct Air Capture technology. They enhance both efficiency and sustainability, reinforcing our dedication to providing effective solutions in the fight against climate change,” he concludes.

The company plans to integrate these innovations into its demonstration unit in a real-world setting by the third quarter of 2024.

NEG8 Carbon remains committed to fighting climate change with its mission to capture 100 million tonnes of CO? annually by 2050.

After successfully launching Ireland’s first operational direct air capture (DAC) system in 2023, the NEG8 Carbon team is set to manufacture and test a large-scale pilot system throughout 2024 in collaboration with Deep Sky in Canada. A partnership with Walton Institute this year focuses on a two-year AI project using machine learning to monitor and optimise the conditions for carbon capture.

The innovation announced today brings NEG8 Carbon one step closer towards that goal, positioning the company to meet the global demand for effective and scalable carbon removal systems as governments and corporations intensify their efforts to reach net zero emissions.

For more information, visit www.neg8carbon.com.