Climate technology startup SpiralWave has lately unveiled a groundbreaking device that is capable in turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid fuel. The invention is mainly focusing on reducing excess CO2 in our atmosphere.
SpiralWave is co-founded by Abed Bukhari and Adam Amad. Its approach feels almost futuristic as the device uses advanced plasma technology to break down CO2 molecules to convert them into methanol instead of storing CO2 underground.
The science behind it is simple as waves of plasma is activated by microwaves to create reactions for separating CO2 and water into basic elements of the two. The elements are therefore combined to produce methanol and it is believed that the process is incredibly efficient. It turns up to 90% of the energy used into chemical energy stored in methanol.
SpiralWave has come up with prototypes revealing that it can produce more than a ton of methanol by using concentrated CO2 and electricity. The startup is now working on larger systems such as Gigabeam and learned could remove up to one million tons of CO2 every year.
The innovation is appealing due to its practicality and the company plans to install smaller devices directly at customer sites. This will make the technology accessible and scalable. Their ultimate goal is to build the largest e-methanol plant ever by using compact systems that can transform industrial CO2 emissions into something valuable.
The world is currently desperate for solutions to the climate crisis and the device of SpiralWave device offers some hope. It is not simply about reducing CO2, but also about turning a problem into a resource. The world might have a new weapon in the fight to save our planet if SpiralWave can scale its vision.
