Repair Carbon: Battery-Inspired Carbon Removal Machines

Direct Air Capture Costs Plummet with Innovative Technology

Over the last ten years, the field of direct air capture – technology designed to remove CO₂ directly from the atmosphere – has seen a significant shift. What was once prohibitively expensive is now becoming comparatively affordable. Organizations such as Microsoft, committed to carbon neutrality by 2030, are willing to invest in these emerging solutions to accelerate development.

However, the cost remains a barrier for many smaller businesses. A new startup, RepAir Carbon, believes it has found a solution, drawing inspiration from the principles of battery technology.

RepAir's Novel Carbon Capture Approach

RepAir Carbon is pioneering a new method of carbon capture that the company projects could reduce costs to as little as $70 to $80 per metric ton of carbon removed. This represents a substantial decrease compared to existing technologies, which currently average around $600 per metric ton, according to industry estimates.

Recently, RepAir successfully secured a $15 million extension to its Series A funding round. This investment was spearheaded by Extantia Capital and Taranis Carbon Ventures, with additional participation from Ormat Technologies and Repsol. Furthermore, the Israeli Innovation Authority provided a $3 million grant to support the company’s efforts.

Harnessing Electricity for Carbon Removal

The potential for cost reduction stems from RepAir’s unique approach to utilizing electricity in the carbon capture process. Traditional methods typically rely on solvents to extract CO₂, requiring heat to release the gas for transport and storage.

In contrast, RepAir employs electricity to directly drive the chemical reaction. Co-founder and CEO Amir Shiner described the device to TechCrunch as “more like a fuel cell, but operated more like a battery.”

How RepAir's Technology Works

The core of the technology involves two electrodes separated by a specialized membrane. Air or flue gas is channeled into a reaction chamber where it interacts with a nickel-based electrode carrying an electrical current.

Hydroxide ions are present, actively attracting carbon dioxide and converting it into carbonate and bicarbonate ions, which carry a negative electrical charge. These ions then migrate through the porous electrode and separator, drawn towards the positive charge of the opposing electrode.

Upon reaching the positive electrode, the ions revert back to CO₂ and hydroxide. The captured CO₂ is then extracted for storage, while the hydroxide accumulates, allowing the reactor to reverse direction and repeat the process.

Advantages of a Reversible System

RepAir’s reversible process offers a key advantage over other carbon capture technologies.

Conventional capture systems require downtime for solvent regeneration – the heating process needed to release CO₂. This downtime necessitates the use of additional modules to achieve a desired level of carbon capture.

“We regenerate while working,” Shiner explained.

Each reaction chamber within RepAir’s system contains multiple stacks of anode-separator combinations. The company can precisely control the amount of electricity applied to each stack, ensuring optimal performance.

Applications and Future Prospects

The technology is effective at capturing carbon both directly from the atmosphere and from exhaust streams generated by sources like power plants. RepAir is currently exploring partnerships with developers to integrate its technology into gas turbines, specifically targeting the reduction of carbon emissions from data centers.

“It’s early, but it’s something we’re working on and we have strong interest coming from that specific area,” Shiner stated.