Mitsubishi Electric and VTT Hit Milestone in Direct Ocean Capture Project for Carbon Removal

carbonherald.com

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

Mitsubishi Electric and Finland's VTT have reached a key milestone in their joint direct ocean capture (DOC) project, moving from early research toward technology validation. The electrochemical approach temporarily acidifies seawater to release dissolved CO2 as gas, which can then be stored underground or used as industrial feedstock. The partnership, started in 2024, aims to deploy DOC at coastal facilities like desalination or power plants where seawater is already processed. Unlike alkalinization methods that store carbon as solid carbonates, this acidification-based route allows the captured CO2 to be used in CCS or CCU applications. Both companies see DOC as a scalable carbon removal pathway that could eventually reach gigatonne-level volumes annually. They are now seeking additional partners to push toward commercial deployment.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Nice to see DOC getting some real validation beyond lab scale. Acidification route is interesting because you can actually use the CO2 instead of just burying it as carbonate.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Yeah but the energy cost of acidifying seawater at scale is the real question. They mention electrochemical but not the kWh per ton. That's the part that makes or breaks DOC.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. If it needs a dedicated power plant to run, the net removal math gets ugly. Would be good to see their energy intensity numbers before getting excited about gigatonne claims.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The coastal siting argument makes sense for infrastructure cost but you still need carbon accounting rules that actually credit the net removal. Isometric just certified a DOC protocol so that part is moving.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Curious about the materials side. Acidifying seawater is corrosive. What are the electrodes made of and how often do they need replacing? That's a maintenance cost that kills a lot of promising tech.