Carbon America’s cryogenic carbon capture technology, FrostCC, has successfully completed 1,000 hours of testing at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in Wilsonville, Ala.
Carbon America is an Arvada-based carbon capture and storage developer, owner and operator focused on capturing and storing carbon dioxide.
“The prospects of this breakthrough technology inspired Carbon America’s founding and we’re excited to see it realized,” said Brent Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Carbon America. “It has been inspiring to watch it go from a concept to an engineering-scale pilot that has achieved material results.”
FrostCC is a cryogenic point-source carbon capture system that removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas by cooling it below the sublimation temperature of CO2, causing it to form dry ice which is then separated from the gas mixture. The solid CO2 is subsequently melted and collected as a liquid, ready for compression and transportation to storage sites. The system operates without the use of water or chemicals, relying solely on electricity.
During the NCCC testing, FrostCC demonstrated its capacity to capture CO2 and co-pollutants from flue gas and validated the process and design models. The next step for FrostCC will be a full-scale commercial demonstration.
“Experimental data from the testing at NCCC not just proved FrostCC’s viability as an effective carbon capture technology, but also validated the physics-based models that enable design of the commercial product. Looking to the future we have confidence in our path to a commercial product,” said Miles Abarr, chief technology officer.
Following the NCCC pilot, Carbon America plans to deploy the first standard commercial FrostCC module across emission-intensive industries such as power plants, cement and steel, pulp and paper, and other production facilities.