Equatic, a Los Angeles-based start-up, has developed an unprecedented technology that uses the ocean to address two of the world’s most pressing climate issues: carbon capture and green hydrogen production. However, though the innovation promises a dual solution, it has already caused a stir among scientists and environmental advocates.
The ocean naturally absorbs at least a quarter of the CO2 emissions that people cause, acting as an important buffer against climate change. Equatic seeks to enhance this process by using its ocean-based carbon removal technology to store carbon in a stable, long-term form. According to the company, the captured carbon remains locked away for thousands of years, providing a reliable solution to reduce the atmospheric CO2 levels.
Edward Sanders, CEO of Equatic, says, “We have a technology that does two things pretty well. One is we take CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it permanently. The second thing we do is produce green hydrogen.”
Dual-Action Technology
Equatic is the process involving pumping seawater into an electrolyzer powered by renewable energy resources such as wind or sun. The electrolyzer separates it into hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and an alkaline slurry. In this process, the captured CO2 is converted in the slurry into stable carbonates and bicarbonates released back into the ocean.
Unlike the traditional methods, the Equatic system does not produce harmful chlorine gas in the process, owing to the specially designed oxygen-selective anode. The captured CO2 is chemically immobilized, thus trapping it for millennia without releasing back into the atmosphere.
In addition to removing CO2, Equatic produces green hydrogen—a clean energy source crucial for decarbonizing industries like shipping and aviation. Although the electrolyzer is less efficient in producing hydrogen compared to conventional models, it has a dual benefit: helping monetize the carbon capture process.
Scaling Up: Ambitions And Challenges
Equatic has already proven its technology in pilot plants in Los Angeles and Singapore, each removing 30–40 tonnes of CO2 annually. The company is now building a larger facility in Singapore that will capture 4,000 tonnes of CO2 and produce 100 tonnes of hydrogen yearly. A commercial-scale plant in Quebec will be able to remove 100,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
However, scaling up ocean-based carbon removal is not easy. The opponents raise the issue of energy consumption, environmental impact, and the potential for unforeseen effects in marine ecosystems.
According to Mary Church of the Center for International Environmental Law, marine carbon removal can interfere with ocean chemistry and impact nutrient levels and populations of species. “At a scale to meaningfully impact the climate, marine CO2 removal would be inherently unpredictable and pose significant risks to ecosystems,” she says.
Marine scientist James Kerry adds that the process of Equatic may necessitate the processing of enormous volumes of seawater, thus causing harm to marine life and disrupting food security.
Equatic maintains that its process is safe and compliant with international environmental standards. The company neutralizes acidic waste streams before discharge and tracks its effects on marine ecosystems. According to Sanders, there is no alternative to doing nothing. “We have to remove legacy CO2 emissions from the atmosphere to decrease climate-related stress on our oceans,” he says.
Next Steps For Ocean-Based Solutions
While promising, experts maintain that ocean-based carbon removal must complement, not displace, emissions reductions. As Charlotte Levy of Carbon180 has said, “No removal solution later is as good as mitigation now.”
Equatic aims to get the CO2 removal costs below $100 per tonne by 2030 and hopes its technology will be scaled enough to make a significant dent in global emissions by mid-2040s. Whether it can balance innovation with environmental stewardship is a critical question in this race to combat climate change.
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