Ecospray awarded ocean based carbon capture pilot in Norway

The company will provide CO₂ liquefaction technologies to Captura, a US-based company spun off from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which is focused on carbon removal via the oceans. Captura has partnered with Equinor to build a 1,000-ton/year CO₂ capture pilot system at Equinor’s processing facility in Kårstø, on the west coast of Norway.

Ecospray is scheduled to deliver the pilot’s CO₂ liquefaction system in the third quarter of 2024. 

The pilot will use Captura’s Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology to capture CO₂ from seawater. Once captured, after the water removal, the CO₂ will be liquefied and purified using Ecospray’s system. The liquefied CO2 will then be used to commission the Northern Lights CO2 facilities. 

The Ecospray CO₂ liquefaction is based on the water removal, cooling and subsequent distillation of the CO₂ optimising energy consumptions and concentration to obtain the required high-level purity. 

”We are strongly committed to innovative and concretely revolutionary challenges,” said Giorgio Copelli, Director of Sales & Marketing at Ecospray. ”The Captura project has all the characteristics of this. Ecospray is proud to be part of it as a technology’s provider. The capture of CO₂ from seawater is an advancing area but one with great potential that can concretely support decarbonization. Our liquefaction systems are flexible, and we operate in different sectors, always offering cutting-edge technologies. Being chosen for such a significant project is a great certificate of esteem from the market.”

Ecospray notes that the oceans play an important role in limiting global climate change because the seas currently absorb about 30 percent of global CO₂ emissions. At the same time, the steady increase in CO₂ produced by anthropogenic activities and the resulting increased uptake by the oceans are acidifying waters and interfering with ecosystems. It is therefore essential to work on technologies that remove CO₂ from the ocean and atmosphere. Captura’s DOC technology works in this direction.