Singapore to build the world’s largest ocean-based carbon removal plant
![Singapore to build the world's largest ocean-based carbon removal plant](https://sustainabilityeconomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/65dd4239e2d54afd0627f582_Equatic-Carbon-Removal-Plant-Daylight-scaled.jpeg)
Singapore is set to embark on a groundbreaking project to construct the world’s largest ocean-based carbon removal plant over the next 18 months.
Backed by a successful pilot of the technology, the US$20 million full-scale demonstration plant, named Equatic-1, is a collaborative effort between Singapore’s national water agency PUB, UCLA, and Equatic, a startup founded by UCLA scientists.
Equatic-1, to be co-funded by PUB, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Singapore, and UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), is the result of successful pilots conducted in Los Angeles and Singapore in 2023.
Once completed at PUB’s research and development facility in Tuas, Equatic-1 will have the capacity to remove 10 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per day from seawater and the atmosphere, surpassing the capabilities of existing plants by more than 100 times.
The Equatic process, which expands upon the ocean’s natural carbon storage capacity, involves electrolysis of seawater to produce carbon-negative hydrogen and oxygen constituents. This process allows atmospheric and dissolved CO2 to be trapped in solid calcium and magnesium-based materials for thousands of years, with potential applications in construction.
The collaboration with UCLA and Equatic aligns with PUB’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, reflecting Singapore’s broader efforts to source innovative technologies for climate change mitigation. If successful, Equatic-1 could pave the way for commercialization, offering a scalable solution to remove carbon dioxide equivalent to the emissions of thousands of people annually.
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