Pilot Energy and Capture6 Partner for Direct Air Capture and Water Treatment Project

Pilot Energy has entered a joint development agreement with Capture6 to install Direct Air Capture (DAC) and water treatment capacities at its Mid West Clean Energy Project (MWCEP) in Western Australia. This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing carbon removal and addressing water challenges in the region.

2025 Demonstration of DAC Technology

As part of this effort, Capture6 will begin demonstrations of its novel DAC and clean water technology at Pilot's Arrowsmith site in 2025. This demonstration will be the first step in realizing the full potential of the project, which will eventually span several phases over the coming years.

Project Wallaby

The two companies have secured a $6.5 million grant from the Commonwealth Carbon Capture Technologies Program (CCTP) to kick off their joint venture, named Project Wallaby. This initiative will see 80% of the ownership going to Capture6 and 20% to Pilot Energy.

The project will be executed in four phases, aligning with the broader MWCEP development.

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Phases of Project Wallaby

Once the Phase 1 demonstration concludes in 2025, the project will enter Phase 1a in 2026. This phase will focus on expanding operations to monetize water, low-carbon chemicals, and high-purity CO2. By the second phase, which is scheduled for 2028/2029, Project Wallaby will scale up operations to manage 2 gigaliters of water produced during CO2 storage and aim to remove 80,000 tonnes of atmospheric carbon annually.

From 2030 onward, Project Wallaby plans to enter its final phase. In this stage, the DAC capacity will increase to 350,000 tonnes per year, significantly enhancing the project's carbon removal power.

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Monetizing Carbon Credits and Water Treatment

If the DAC technology demonstration proves successful, the project will potentially create a new revenue stream for Pilot Energy. This will come from carbon removal credits and water treatment by-products, such as hydrogen, created during the project's operations.

Brad Lingo, Chairman of Pilot Energy, highlighted that Capture6’s technology could significantly reduce the cost and environmental impact of MWCEP’s water handling system. He also noted the potential revenue from carbon removal credits and by-products like hydrogen.