AIRHIVE

XPRIZE TRACK
AIR

CDR PATHWAY(S)
Air - Solid sorbent direct air capture
Rocks - Mineralization of mine or industrial waste

PHYSICAL PRODUCTS
Building Materials, Other

FOUNDED
2022

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Airhive Ltd
London, United Kingdom
airhive.earth

Rory Brown, Founder & CEO
[email protected]

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Airhive’s Direct Air Capture technology employs fluidisation to provide rapid CO2 removal via our low-cost, non-toxic metal oxide-based sorbent. For the XPRIZE demonstration, Airhive is operating its 1,000 tpa pilot at the Deep Sky Alpha site in Innisfail, Alberta, Canada.

CORE INNOVATION

Airhive delivers a step change in DAC cost and energy requirements by using fluidisation to deliver very high air velocities and capture efficiencies with low energy requirements. Airhive’s technology is also built around proven process equipment with excellent existing supply chains, enabling rapid manufacturing ramp up and commercial deployment.

CO2 CAPTURE

1. Adsorption. Air is pushed through a horizontal fluidised bed reactor containing mixed metal oxide-based sorbent. The air causes the sorbent to form a turbulent sandstorm, stripping >99.99% of the CO2 from air passing through the reactor in <0.1s.
2. Desorption. Carbonated sorbent is transferred to an electro-calciner where it is heated, separating CO2 into a high-purity stream. Regenerated particles are returned to the carbonator, although in practice adsorption and desorption operate simultaneously.

CO2 SEQUESTRATION

The CO2 is transported to and stored at Deep Sky's CO2 storage site, where the CO2 is permanently sequestered in a saline aquifer.

CO-BENEFITS OR PRODUCTS

Airhive’s closed system enables us to use our sorbent as thermochemical energy storage, and therefore enabling plant operation based entirely on low-capacity factor renewables. We can also sell spent sorbent in its more valuable oxide form to the cement/building industry as bulk material, reducing new carbonate mineral extraction and calcination.