Frontier & Arbor Develop Vegetarian Rocket Engine for Data Centers

Frontier Funds Arbor Energy for Carbon Dioxide Removal

Frontier, a venture supported by prominent companies like Stripe, Google, and Meta, revealed on Tuesday a funding commitment to Arbor Energy. This investment will facilitate the removal of 116,000 tons of carbon dioxide before the end of this decade.

Louisiana-Based Power Plant Development

The agreement provides Arbor Energy with $41 million. These funds are designated to support the construction of their inaugural commercial-scale power plant located in southern Louisiana.

This facility will utilize waste biomass as fuel to generate electricity specifically for a data center. Simultaneously, the CO₂ produced during this process will be captured and permanently stored deep underground via pipeline.

Dual Revenue Streams

“Our approach allows us to offer two distinct products to the market,” explained Arbor co-founder and CEO Brad Hartwig to TechCrunch. “We provide both carbon-free, consistent energy supply and verifiable net carbon removals.”

BiCRS Technology Explained

This dual benefit is inherent to the technology, known as BiCRS – biomass carbon removal and storage.

Hannah Bebbington, head of deployment at Frontier, elaborated to TechCrunch: “A key advantage of BiCRS is the inherent CO₂ capture, as plants naturally absorb it. The process simply involves extracting and securely storing the captured carbon.”

Space-Age Innovation in Biomass Burning

While biomass combustion has ancient roots, Arbor integrates cutting-edge technology into the practice. Hartwig, formerly with SpaceX, leveraged principles from rocket turbomachinery in the development of Arbor’s power plant.

The initial facility is projected to generate between 5 and 10 megawatts of electrical power, with ongoing efforts focused on increasing output.

Syngas Production and CO₂ Utilization

Within the power plant, waste biomass undergoes a transformation into syngas. Initially, the company considered utilizing commercially available gasifiers, but found them inadequate and subsequently developed their own.

This custom gasifier employs supercritical CO₂ – carbon dioxide under extreme pressure – sourced directly from the power plant to dissolve the biomass, yielding hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas.

Combustion and Temperature Control

The syngas and CO₂ are then channeled into a combustion chamber, where the syngas is combusted using pure oxygen. This process generates water vapor, heat, and additional carbon dioxide.

Hartwig clarified that the inclusion of CO₂ in the combustion chamber is intentional, serving to regulate temperatures and prevent damage to the machinery’s metallic components.

Electricity Generation and Carbon Sequestration

The resulting hot gases drive a turbomachinery to produce electricity. The majority of the CO₂ is directed to a pipeline for permanent geological storage, while a portion is recycled back into the gasifier.

Hartwig has aptly characterized the power plant as a “vegetarian rocket engine.”

High Capture Rate and Atmospheric Carbon Removal

The system achieves a CO₂ capture rate of 99% from the combustion process, significantly exceeding that of alternative methods. Furthermore, by utilizing biomass, the process actively removes carbon from the atmosphere.

Biomass Availability and Sustainability

Frontier estimates the annual availability of waste biomass to be between 1 and 5 gigatons. However, Bebbington emphasized that not all biomass sources are equivalent.

“We must carefully consider transportation distances and potential benefits of biomass remaining in place, such as soil fertilization,” she stated. “We require adherence to sustainable biomass principles for every ton of material utilized.”

Potential for Large-Scale Impact

Even if only 1 gigaton meets these stringent standards, BiCRS and its related technology, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), hold substantial promise for addressing future energy demands.

Frontier’s Commitment and Fuel Flexibility

For Frontier, Arbor will exclusively utilize biomass, ensuring the power plant meets the carbon removal requirements of their agreement. Frontier had previously provided Arbor with a pre-purchase commitment.

While Arbor’s system is designed to accommodate various hydrocarbon sources, including natural gas, Hartwig confirmed that it could theoretically burn any fuel type.

Vision for a Zero-Emission Future

“We envision BECCS playing a crucial role in powering data centers, electrifying industries, and enhancing grid stability,” Hartwig said. “However, any new fossil fuel assets should also operate with zero emissions, capturing all resulting emissions.”