Montreal and Los Angeles – Deep Sky, a Montreal-based gigaton-scale carbon removal project developer, and Equatic, a California-based company developing carbon capture and storage solutions at scale, are partnering to deploy units for direct air capture (DAC) with ocean sequestration in Canada. Equatic will deliver and install an electrolyzer unit to be operated at Deep Sky’s pilot facility in Quebec in 2024. The unit will have the capacity to remove 365 tons of carbon dioxide per year and will demonstrate the potential for Equatic’s technology ahead of larger-scale deployments (100,000+ tons per year).
Equatic, recently awarded one of the Best Inventions of 2023 by TIME Magazine, has developed an electrolytic process for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal that leverages the size and scale of the oceans. The process removes carbon dioxide from air and immobilizes it permanently in the form of dissolved bicarbonate ions (in seawater), and in the form of solid mineral carbonates. The process also produces hydrogen, a clean energy source that will help decarbonize industrial systems, produce electricity for the transportation sector, create Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and fuels for trucking, and power the Equatic technology itself.
Once in operation, the partners will together monitor the performance of the electrolyzer unit in the unique marine environment of Quebec. The joint team will collect data on the performance of the unit in terms of carbon dioxide removal (CDR), energy consumption, and compliance with existing environmental regulations.
“We’re thrilled to add Equatic to our pilot facility, marking a Direct Air Capture (DAC) partnership with a truly unique capture and sequestration technology,” said Damien Steel, Deep Sky CEO. “As we prepare to remove gigatons of CO2 from the air for our carbon credit customers, Equatic’s unique electrolysis process enables the oceans to play a major part in averting climate catastrophe.”
“This partnership is another meaningful step forward in producing high quality carbon dioxide removal,” said Lorenzo Corsini, Principal Advisor, Equatic. “By working together, Equatic and Deep Sky will bring the most promising carbon dioxide removal technologies to market at scale.”
Together, Deep Sky and Equatic are committed to developing and deploying cutting-edge CDR technologies. High quality CDR is essential for achieving net zero emissions goals and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Equatic’s process is engineered to measure CDR entirely within a closed system. Direct, in-plant, on-line and on-stream sensors record the rate and extent of CDR, provide continuous, unambiguous data about operational performance, and ensure accurate data is available for environmental impact monitoring.
As part of this deployment, the team will continue to engage with local communities through activities such as town hall meetings, small group meetings, interviews, and community events. Ongoing collaboration with scientific teams, such as those at the Université du Québec à Rimouski – Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (ISMER), will ensure Deep Sky and Equatic can measure and monitor potential impacts on the local ecosystem at the pilot and commercial scale. Powered by renewable energy, Deep Sky’s facilities are strategically located in Quebec, a region with an abundance of hydroelectric power, immense wind power potential and a vast territory with the rich geological makeup required for carbon capture.
