1. Closing the Carbon Cycle for
Sustainability
A Key Strategy for Environmental Protection, Energy
Security, and Economic Development
Peter Eisenberger
Columbia University & Global Thermostat
Rio+20
June 18, 2012
2. Table of Contents
• Closing the Carbon Cycle
• Current Approaches
• A Sustainable Solution: Energy from
Atmospheric CO2
• Global Thermostat
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 2
4. Closing the Carbon Cycle
You need to know where you are going to get there…
• Sustainability Requires Humans Close the Carbon Cycle
– Climate Sustainability
– Energy Security
– Economic Development
• A Human System that Closes The Carbon Cycle
– Flexibility in location of sources and sinks
– Connectivity between different components
– Serve both todays fossil fuel and tomorrows renewables
– Consistent with existing infrastructure
– Provide net carbon negative technologies to offset carbon emitters
– Value carbon so as to support positive feedbacks
– New types of cooperation between countries and companies
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 4
5. Current Approaches to Climate Change
“Wedges” approach a good start…
– Sensible, diversified strategy based on existing pathways
– Portfolio of renewable energy and efficiency technologies
– Potential to keep CO2 below 500ppm (still 2x pre-indust. level)
But may not be enough to avoid climate
change…
– Depends on continued net natural absorption rate
– Does not address 2000’s already elevated emissions
– Underestimates projected growth rate by factor of two
– No solution past 2055
Climate will change destructively on its own
– Earth history has many climate disasters
– New York City under a 1 mile high ice sheet
A safe, effective, and affordable solution to climate change is still urgently
needed
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 5
10. The Need for Going Carbon Negative…
Business as usual
Carbon Neutral is not enough
– Neutralizing new and existing
emissions Wedges (aggressive
7
does not prevent
atmospheric concentration of CO2
renewable energy use,
from further increasing
efficiency, point-source
sequestration)
– It doesn’t solve the climate risk
problem (reducingCarbon
Negative atmospheric
concentrationsGlobal (such ppm)
below 500
Technology
as
Carbon-Negative Required
Thermostat) with
aggressive
– To reduce atmospheric concentrations
renewable energy
faster than the natural absorption rate
– To achieve a safe level of CO2
concentration
Air Capture Can Make Going
Carbon Negative Possible
Pacala and Socolow, Science, Vol 305, 8/13/2004, Pg
969.
Note: 7 Wedges refers to the seven stabilization
wedges, created by Wigley, Richels & Edmonds,
necessary to achieve an atmospheric concentration of
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL ppm by 2125.
CO2 of 500
10
11. A Sustainable Solution
Close the carbon cycle – CO2 from air to make
the energy we need-
ENERGY SECURITY FOR ALL
̶AIR AND WATER MORE EQUABLY DISTRIBUTED
CONTROL HUMAN CO2 INPUT TO CARBON CYCLE
̶TEMPERATURE CONTROL
GREEN ENERGY FUND STIMULATES ECONOMIC GROWTH
̶STIMULATES TRANSITION TO CLOSING THE CARBON CYCLE
̶MONETIZE THE CO2 SO IT IS A VALUABLE AND NOT A POLLUTANT
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 11
12. Applications & Markets for Captured CO2
Storage Enhanced Algae- Hydroge Products
Oil Based n-Based cement,
Recovery fertilizer,
Biofuels Fuels plastics,
greenhouses
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 12
13. Renewable 95: Closing the Carbon Cycle
CONVERTING CO2 FROM AIR &
HYDROGEN FROM WATER
TO
95 OCTANE GASOLINE
Water Vapor and CO2
CO2 Capture
&
Hydrogen Conversion
95
Octane
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 13
14. GT Project with Algae Systems
GT is developing a fully-integrated biorefinery
through a partnership with Algae Systems
• Produces carbon negative transportation fuels (diesel, jet, etc)
• Treats municipal wastewater and produces drinking water
• Generates green electricity and biochar fertilizers
Fuels,
CO2 Electr
Algae Fuel icity
Solar Dewatering
Production Production &
Energy Bioch
Waste Treat ar
Drin
water ed
king
Wast Desalination
Wate
ewat
r
er
This unique combination of technologies provides critical municipal
services while producing energy in an embodiment that is
As Green As It Gets
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 14
15. Geothermal Electricity + CO2
Collaboration with Green Fire Energy
– Uses CO2 instead of water
– 10-20% of circulating CO2 sequestered
Using CO2 captured by Global Thermostat
– Location flexibility of air capture
– Economic advantage of locating near use
– Increased geothermal locations accessible
Produces Carbon Negative electricity
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 15
16. CLOSING THE CARBON CYCLE
FOR ENERGY, ECONOMIC, AND CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY 16
17. Global Thermostat
Our goal is to provide technology to:
̶Facilitate the transition to a renewable future
• Our Carburetor Technology to Clean Fossil Fuel Sources
̶Provide carbon for the renewable energy future
• Our Direct Air Capture Technology to Close the Carbon Cycle
̶Provide a common technology platform
• Connects air and concentrated CO2 sources
̶Make money by doing good
We seek and welcome partners
̶They have already been essential to our efforts
We are committed to broad dissemination
̶Licensing model
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 17
18. How GT Technology Works
“GT CARBON SPONGE”
Patented Carbon Sponge: porous
block coated with proprietary amine
sorbents
Ambient air and/or flue gas goes through
and binds to sorbent
Carbon Sponge lowers into sealed
chamber
Low temperature process heat releases
pure CO2 gas for collection
Pipes to oil well, algae, etc.
And the cycle restarts… 18
18
19. Technology Operation
Ambient air
OR Monolith Contactors Step 1
Air-flue gas blend
+ Sorbent Air Input
“Cartridge”
GT Module
•GT uses Corning
Adsorption monolith contactors
Phase similar to those in your
cars tailpipe
•Contactors provide high
surface contact areas
at low pressure drop
Regeneration •Enables movement of
Phase large volumes of air
with effective contact of
CO2 at low cost
•40 minute cycle
19
19
20. Technology Operation
Ambient air
OR
Monolith Contactors Step 2
Air-flue gas blend + Sorbent CO2
“Cartridge”
GT Module Capture
•GT sorbents proven
Adsorption highly effective by
Phase Georgia Tech -
confirmed by SRI,
BASF, and NETL
•BASF process to
deposit immobilized
Regeneration
amines in pores of the
Phase
contactor walls at high
loading
•Dramatically reduces
heat required
compared to liquid
based CCS 20
20
21. Technology Operation
Monolith Contactors Step 3
+ Sorbent
“Cartridge”
GT Module Regenerati
•CO2-rich sorbent is
on
Adsorption heated with low-
Phase temperature process
heat (90-105C) steam
•CO2 is collected and
sorbent is regenerated
Regeneration •CO2 can be stored or
Phase used in multiple
commercial applications
•4 - 10 minute cycle
105C Steam CO2 Collection
21
21
22. Technology Partners
Partner Activity Relationship Terms
SRI International Pilot plant operation and R&D; lab testing Contract R&D
BASF Sorbent development/supply; lab testing Strategic Supplier
Corning Monolith development/supply Strategic Supplier
Linde Carburetor Pilot/EPC Contractor/Customer EPC Contractor/Customer
Georgia Tech Sorbent R&D; contactor testing Contract R&D
Virgin Atlantic Renewable jet fuel Commercialization partner, customer
Carmagen
System design, engineering, optimization Contract consulting
Engineering
Summit Power Project engineering Project development fee
22
22
23. Closing the Carbon Cycle is Key
For Sustainable Carbon-Based Life: Close the Carbon
Cycle…
Need Direct Air Capture
̶Carbon for a sustainable renewable energy future
̶Flexibility to provide sources and sinks
Need Negative Carbon
̶Climate Security
Need Carburetor for transition
̶Short term carbon free products
̶Long term carbon negative products
Need a Green Energy Fund
̶Global Economic Sustainability
Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL 23
24. The Global Thermostat
Carbon dioxide
concentration
decreasing
CO2 ENER
GY
CAPTURE
Atmosphere
800
25. Contact
Graciela Chichilnisky
Managing Director
chichilnisky1@gmail.com
Peter Eisenberger
Managing Director
peter.eisenberger@gmail.com
Global Thermostat Confidential 25
Notas del editor
The main message of my presentation is that one cannot have sustainability without us hunans Closing the Carbon Cycle , by which is meant the carbon in our fuel comes from the air just as the carbon for the energy of life comes from the air. This promotes sustainability because there is no net impact on the planets carbon balance , the input to energy being the air is more equitably distributed promoting energy security and economic development. The green power fund can provide the market stimulus to trigger this virtuous cycle.
Read it – 1 what does it mean practically to close the carbon cycle 2 review the current view of how to address the threat of climate change – conservAationand renewables –will not avert climate risk 3 nor will it address the underlying poor distribution of fossil fuel sources and the lck of energy security anmd conflict that arise form it 4 we propose to address all thoise conbscerns by being able to get co2 form the air as input to making our hydrocarbon fuels 5 describe our technology to do that
Snapshot of carbon cycle Note positve input of humans of 6 gigatonnes of carbon about 24 gigatonnes of co2 Note large fluxes of co2 between the land and air and the sea and air – natural balance today is to reduce co2 –global cooling period Note today 3-2 gigatonnes of our contribution adsorbed by rest of system that will change over time could aggravate problem grealty –would effecively double the rate of increase- nature changes the balance on its own and destructively so But even in this fortunate situation our current approach will not work
Point out –three virtous feedbacks A human system that mimics the natural carbon cycle would have the attributes listed
2005 pacala and socolow As a detailed analysis shows will not prevent co2 from increasing –bathtub model
Too small Maybe bullet or two
Bathtub explanation –will not solve climate problem or address underlying energy security and economic development components of sustainability
What are the options? What are the useful products and fuels we can create
Intro slide to the options Key transition slide – need to find a way to begin process of transition to a sustainable solution Monetize the co2 by either making it into carbion nuetral by making products from flue gas sources or carbon negative energy and products with co2 from the air-the same infrastructure works for both making the cost of the transition to a ustainable future less costly allowing money to be used for more broad based economic development the stimulus of the green power fund
Tech pathways to harvest atmosphere—create value in closed loop
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