A startup in Nova Scotia is conducting experiments to enhance carbon capture and storage in the ocean through a new pilot facility to validate the concept. The ocean has been a significant repository for excess carbon dioxide, absorbing around 30 percent of human-induced carbon emissions since the 1980s. pHathom, the company behind the initiative, aims to further reduce emissions by capturing carbon dioxide and transforming it into a compound suitable for long-term storage in the ocean.
The initial testing of their method will take place at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Kimberly Gilbert, the co-founder and CEO, emphasized the importance of demonstrating the safety and efficacy of their approach at a local level before scaling up globally. The company’s technique replicates a natural process where raindrops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and, upon interacting with alkaline rock like limestone, convert the carbon dioxide into bicarbonate, which can be stored in the ocean for thousands of years.
pHathom’s method involves exposing seawater to the emissions of a biomass power plant, leading to increased acidity. The acidic water is then combined with minute limestone particles in a tank, converting the carbon dioxide into bicarbonate before being reintroduced into the ocean with a neutral pH level. This approach is distinct from other companies in Nova Scotia working on carbon removal, such as Planetary and CarbonRun, who are exploring variations of alkalinity enhancement techniques.
The company’s pilot phase aims to capture 0.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide daily, with the end goal of demonstrating the technology’s effectiveness and minimal environmental impact. If successful, pHathom plans to expand its operations to a second test site in Nova Scotia next year, integrating their reactor into a building transitioning to a biomass system. However, the scalability of carbon removal technologies remains a key challenge, as emphasized by experts like Katja Fennel from Dalhousie University.
While energy consumption and regulatory hurdles pose significant obstacles to widespread adoption, the urgency of addressing the climate crisis necessitates exploring all viable carbon removal methods. Despite recent policy changes affecting carbon capture projects in Canada, pHathom remains hopeful that economic and environmental imperatives will drive global action when the time is right.