Project description
Ultra low-cost direct air capture for affordable e-fuels
BRINEWORKS is developing an ultra low-cost direct air capture technology that enables the production of affordable e-fuels for hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation and maritime shipping. Brineworks’ breakthrough hybrid electrolyser captures CO2 from air using saltwater and electrochemistry while producing green hydrogen as a by-product, the second essential feedstock for e-fuels. By combining both feedstocks in a single highly energy-efficient system, the technology reduces overall process costs by up to 50 %, helping address the high cost of current DAC technologies. The EIC-funded BRINEWORKS project will establish a business model based on on-site production of CO2 and H2, electrolyser sales, licensing, maintenance services and royalties. By lowering the cost of DAC and its feedstocks, BRINEWORKS unlocks scalable, affordable e-fuel production.
Objective
Today, electrification is not a viable option for shipping and aviation. It is therefore essential to scale up the production of e-fuels (chemically identical to the fossil fuels used today). This will require abundant, affordable and fully sustainable CO2 and H2, the cost of which is prohibitive with today's technologies.
Using saltwater and electrochemistry to capture CO2 from the atmosphere is a sustainable way to access abundant CO2, and far less expensive than other alternatives. At Brineworks we have developed a breakthrough hybrid electrolysis system that allows CO2 to be captured using saltwater, with a high yield while providing green H2 as a co-product at scale. This approach to scaling CO2 extraction is unique in that our hybrid technology provides both feedstocks needed for e-fuel production at prices that will make the fuels competitive with fossil alternatives.
Our highly energy-efficient design translates into up to 50% cost reduction for the overall process. We are therefore building the future of affordable, scalable, and responsible CO2 capture from air. The levelized cost of CO2 extraction with Brineworks’ system can reach as low as €68 per tonne, in contrast to the €500-€600 per tonne of CO2 extracted with incumbent direct air capture (DAC) technologies today.
The supply of green CO2 is a key component of the e-fuel production chain, and our proprietary electrolyzer will enable e-fuel producers and project developers to affordably generate their two main feedstocks (sustainable CO2 and H2) on-site. Our business model combines sales of CO2 and H2 from our demo plant, licensing of the plant design to e-fuel producers, sales of our proprietary electrolyzer, cost of replacement parts and maintenance, and royalties on customer production of CO2 and H2.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC-ACC - HORIZON EIC Accelerator
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-ACCELERATOR-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1098 XH Amsterdam
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.