ARCA

XPRIZE TRACK
ROCKS

CDR PATHWAY(S)
Rocks - Mineralization of mine or industrial waste

PHYSICAL PRODUCTS
None

FOUNDED
2021

GET IN TOUCH

Arca Climate Technologies
Vancouver, Canada
arcaclimate.com

Paul Needleman
[email protected]

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

At Arca, we believe that to stabilize the climate, humanity needs to leverage the capacity of existing large-scale industrial operations. It makes sense to partner with industries like mining that handle billions of tonnes of material every year. We can harness mining’s scale for positive climate impact by turning their waste into a carbon sink. Our ISO-validated approach, which accelerates the natural process of carbon mineralization, has been deployed and is removing carbon dioxide today.

CORE INNOVATION

Carbon mineralization is a natural process that occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) reacts with iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) at Earth’s surface to form carbonate minerals - permanently removing and storing CO2 as rock. This process naturally occurs over millennia and has played the defining role in the long-term carbon cycle. However, the rate of natural carbon mineralization is insufficient for combatting climate change today.  Arca’s portfolio of technologies accelerate this natural process in a number of ways. Our patented mineral activation technology uses microwave energy to liberate magnesium for reaction with CO2. Based on our capability for real-time monitoring of carbon flux we can optimize the conditions and obtain the best possible rate of carbon mineralization.

CO2 CAPTURE

Mine tailings are a type of fine-grained mine waste that consist of crushed rock, which at the microscopic scale, contain water between the grains, known as porewater. Due to the alkaline nature of certain types of mine waste, the porewater attains a high pH - a condition favourable for carbon mineralization. This induced alkalinity causes atmospheric CO2 to spontaneously dissolve into the porewater where it is converted to bicarbonate ions.

CO2 SEQUESTRATION

Some types of mine tailings naturally contain a lot of magnesium, which reacts with bicarbonate ions in the porewater to produce magnesium carbonate minerals, thereby sequestering carbon. These carbonate minerals are environmentally benign, thermodynamically stable and insoluble, providing storage for more than 10,000 years.

CO-BENEFITS OR PRODUCTS

Carbon mineralization is a form of cementation which may increase the stability of mine tailings, reducing the environmental, social and financial risk of tailings dam failure. Arca’s mineral activation process may also improve crushing and grinding efficiency, reducing production costs for the mine operator. Due to their high magnesium content, our initial focus is on ultramafic tailings, which are produced from mining nickel. Experimental results show that Arca’s mineral activation technology improves nickel yields from ultramafic mine tailings, which supports the industry’s trend towards upcycling waste.