Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Lydian is a carbontech company that is aiming to create fuel and chemical products from captured CO2 and water. Lydian‚ electrified process would have no associated emissions and could mitigate the equivalent of more than 5 GT of CO2 annually by replacing fossil carbon sources
with previously captured emissions.

Lydian‚ core innovation is an advanced reactor built around proprietary catalytic heating elements that combine two critical functions - catalytic activity and Joule heating - into one, high surface area component, allowing us to directly heat our catalysts to up to 1,500‚ÑÉ while maximizing overall energy efficiency.

The largest carbontech opportunity is CO2-derived fuels. Producing these fuels cost-effectively requires energy-efficient reduction of CO2. While Lydian‚ technology can be adapted to address a wide range of chemical reactions and products, the company will immediately focus on reducing CO2 via the reverse-water gas shift (RWGS) reaction, which will unlock cost-effective e-fuels for aviation.

Regions of Operations:

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)

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Lydian is committed to hiring a diverse workforce across all dimensions, especially those that are not well represented in the physical sciences. Lydian‚ current team includes first-generation immigrants and natural-born citizens, males and females, and white, Asian, and Latino engineers.

Lydian is working diligently to increase the proportion of female engineers on its team and has engaged with the Society of Women Engineers to do so. Lydian has a long-term goal of 50% female employees, and at least 30% female engineers, more than twice the proportion of female engineers nationally. Lydian also hopes to achieve more racial diversity on its team and plans to engage with, for example, the National Society of Black Engineers. Lydian is seeking to establish relationships with HBCUs and PBIs to recruit interns and full-time employees from those with engineering programs.

As Lydian grows to the pilot scale, the company plans to hire heavily from the oil & gas industry. In doing so, we will create high-skill jobs for workers that may be looking to transition or whose jobs may be in jeopardy as the economy starts to transition away from fossil fuels.

Lydian is also prioritizing supplier and vendor contracts that are aligned with equity and inclusion goals, namely: businesses owned by people of color; persons with disabilities; service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (SDVOB); business owners located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones) and rural areas; 8(a) certified businesses; women-owned small businesses (WOSBs); small disadvantaged business (SDBs); and minority-serving education institutions.

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