Mitico raises $4.3M seed spherical to seize CO2 utilizing ‘prehistoric chemistry’

The world is in a pickle: Human exercise continues to dump an excessive amount of CO2 into the ambiance, elevating the danger of catastrophic world warming.

On the identical time, probably the most climate-friendly technique to preserve utilizing fossil fuels, carbon seize, has hit a tough patch. Solely round 40 services worldwide are capturing among the carbon dioxide they generate, in keeping with the Worldwide Vitality Administration. As a result of the installations are too costly to construct and function, they’ve trimmed world carbon emissions by simply 0.01% per 12 months.

However one startup thinks that it has discovered a technique to slash the price of carbon seize utilizing a easy salt that’s been tweaked for industrial obligation. 

“The chemistry that we’re utilizing — the carbonation and decarbonation response — that’s what I name prehistorical chemistry. It was there earlier than us, and will probably be there after us,” Clément Cid, co-founder and CEO of Mitico, instructed TechCrunch.

Others have proposed utilizing potassium carbonate, however most have averted it for 2 causes: For one, strong potassium carbonate primarily dissolves after one use. “It turns into mush after you utilize it, which sucks if you wish to preserve reusing your materials time and again as a sponge,” Cid mentioned. The opposite choice, dissolving the salt in water and effervescent the gasoline by means of the answer, isn’t any cheaper than the alternate options. Mitico went the primary route, including a binder to forestall the pebbles from turning to mush.

The potassium carbonate pebbles can seize greater than 95% of the carbon dioxide in an exhaust stream, Cid mentioned. As soon as the fabric is saturated, it’s heated to launch the CO2, which may then be saved or used to make plastics or e-fuels. Mitico’s strategy, at business scale, ought to be capable of seize a metric ton of carbon for a lot lower than $85, Cid mentioned. If it really works out, any plant qualifying for the related federal tax credit may profitably seize carbon from day one.

One of many startup’s first pilots is hooked up to a boiler at a refinery in Thailand. For now, the corporate plans to woo comparable clients that depend on industrial-scale boilers. “There’s little or no know-how obtainable proper now for these clients, and loads of these clients have ESG necessities,” Cid mentioned. “They haven’t any economical choice aside from utilizing pure gasoline.” 

As soon as it has a foothold in industrial boilers, Mitico is hoping to put in its carbon seize tools at any main emitter of carbon dioxide. Cid mentioned the true goal is pure gasoline energy crops.

There, the corporate would discover a a lot bigger market. Pure gasoline energy crops at the moment present 43% of electrical energy within the U.S., in keeping with the U.S. Vitality Data Administration, and the know-how has obtained a surge of curiosity because the AI increase has information middle operators looking for energy wherever they’ll discover it.

To construct bigger pilot crops, Mitico raised a $4.3 million seed spherical, the corporate completely instructed TechCrunch. The spherical was led by Exergon with participation from AP Ventures, Deepbright Ventures, Freeflow Ventures, Halliburton Labs, the SoCal Alliance for Innovation, SOSV, and W. L. Gore & Associates’ ventures staff.

“On the finish of the day, whether or not the CO2 is coming from fossil or non-fossil sources, what we care about is the truth that we shouldn’t emit as a lot,” Cid mentioned. “Publish-combustion carbon seize is the place we may have probably the most affect.”