Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

The project will explore a new pathway aiming at capturing CO2 coupled with an energy generation unit to compensate for energy consumption in the process. Traditional CO2 capture technologies suffer from high costs due to energy-intensive processes, single-use chemicals and low efficiency at low CO2 concentrations. Among all, amine-based processes are the ones mostly deployed at an industrial scale for CO2 capture targeting post-combustion flue gas. However, amine stability, high regeneration energy cost and low efficiency for low-concentration CO2 sources (i.e air) significantly hinder their global adoption. Unlike these traditional routes, the novel amine-free system being developed here combines a highly effective and cost-efficient CO2 reductive absorption process with an energy generation unit to produce pure CO2 and energy as well as valuable by-products such as hydrogen, boric acid and sulfate salts to compensate for the cost and energy consumption of the process.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Replaces/avoids GHGs (e.g., projects that replace sources of GHGs, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, transport, or other energy uses), Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)

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Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

The proposed CO2 capture technology has the potential to empower traditionally underrepresented groups in several ways.

Job creation: The implementation of carbon capture technology can lead to the creation of new jobs in areas such as research and development, engineering, and operation and maintenance. These jobs could provide new economic opportunities for people who are traditionally underrepresented in the climate movement including women, people of color and youth.

Reduction in air pollution: Carbon capture technology can help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants (such as SOx and NOx) that contribute to air pollution. This is particularly important for climate-vulnerable communities which are often disproportionately affected by air pollution due to their proximity to sources of emissions.

Mitigation of the impacts of climate change: By reducing emissions, carbon capture technology can help mitigate the impacts of climate change, which are often experienced most acutely by marginalized communities.

Community involvement: The implementation of carbon capture technology could also involve the involvement of communities, providing them with a voice in shaping the technology and its impacts. This could help ensure that the perspectives and needs of traditionally underrepresented groups are taken into account.

Education and training opportunities: The development and deployment of carbon capture technology could provide education and training opportunities for young people and others who are looking to build careers in the field of climate action.

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Mission Statement:

Agora Energy Technologies is an award-winning electrochemical innovation company based in Vancouver, Canada that is active in the development and commercialization of frontier-tech carbon sink platforms for CO2 capture and utilization. Agora has been pioneering the introduction of a new class of redox flow batteries that is metal-free, high energy-density, flexible and scalable, based on the concept of CO2-to-energy. The CO2 Redox Flow Battery (CRB) aims to stand out as a sustainable and profitable solution that simultaneously enables the large-scale deployment of renewables and direct CO2-emission-reduction capability. Agora has 54 patents issued worldwide for the CO2 redox flow battery. Agora received substantial International recognition as demonstrated by the multiple prestigious awards and grants such as NRCan‚ Impact Canada Charging the Future finalist, Alibaba Environmental Award, Energy Breakthrough finalist, Grand winners of the global Hello Tomorrow 2020, Keeling Curve Prize 2021 and Cartier Women Initiative 2021 finalist.