ESG Today writes that 2021-founded Captura, a startup spin-off from the California Institute of Technology, offers a commercial solution to capture and store CO2 emissions by using ocean-based natural and artificial technologies.

The way the team operates is quite complex and it first extracts salty seawater from the ocean. It then uses an electrolyzer to separate the molecules into an acid and a base. The acid is then added to the seawater, converting inorganic carbon into CO2, which is then filtered and captured. The remaining seawater has the base added to it in order to balance its pH and is then released back into the sea.

With two operational plants working in California, the company plans to open a third unit, co-developed with Equinor. The third facility is said to have a carbon capture capacity of 1.000 tons per year and will be opened in Norway later this year.

Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura, said that "with our growing network of deployment partners and investors, and the success of our technology pilot program, Captura is now well-positioned to bring our technology to market and deliver climate solutions at meaningful scale."

Maersk Growth, Eni Next, and EDP Ventures are among the investors who participated in the 21.5 million USD financing round.