Direct air capture (DAC) startup Capture6 and Palmdale Water District (PWD) have announced plans to build a combined water recovery and carbon capture pilot facility in California.
According to the partners, the Pure Water Antelope Valley Demonstration Facility will be the first fully integrated water management and carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal facility of its kind.
In addition, the project will engage surrounding communities and will help bring green jobs and economic development in the future.
Relevant: Capture6 To Test Carbon Removal Technology At Demonstration Site In California
The joint facility will validate PWD’s advanced water treatment system and at the same time include Capture6’s pilot carbon removal system, Project Monarch. It will also feature a visitor center, which will provide relevant educational resources for the public.
Capture6’s system uses saltwater to create its carbon removal solvent so it reduces the operational and financial burden related to disposing of excess brine from water treatment facilities, while at the same time enhancing water recovery and permanently removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.
According to Scott Rogers, Engineering Manager at PWD, the joint facility will have zero discharge of brine thanks to Capture6’s technology, which is expected to result in savings in range of 20% to 40% for the lifetime of the cost of the project.
“Our technology can do much more than just remove carbon from the air and this partnership will allow us to bring this synergistic approach to scale and meet the urgency of the climate crisis,” Dr. Ethan Cohen-Cole, CEO and co-founder of Capture6, said in a comment.
PWD covers a growing urban area in Los Angeles County in California, which has been struggling with chronic drought and water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change.
Project Monarch is a two-phase project which can recover more than 50% of the input brine as freshwater during its second phase.
Read more: Capture6 Sets Out To Remove 5M Tons Of CO2 From The Air In New Zealand
