The World's First Commercial Mobile Carbon Capture Device

Full Title

Summary

Remora is developing and deploying mobile carbon capture devices for commercial vehicles like trucks and trains, aiming to address a significant portion of transportation emissions. The company's innovative approach retrofits existing vehicles to capture CO2 directly from exhaust, which is then purified and sold to end-users, creating a revenue stream and reducing climate impact.

Key Points

Remora is creating the first commercial mobile carbon capture systems for trucks and trains, targeting the difficult-to-electrify transportation sector which accounts for 29% of US emissions.
The technology captures CO2 from vehicle exhaust using pellets within a cylinder, separating CO2 molecules while allowing other gases to pass through.
Captured CO2 is offloaded as a liquid and sold to industries like food and beverage, greenhouses, and water treatment, addressing a reported CO2 shortage in the US.
Founder Paul Gross, lacking a direct science background, emphasizes the importance of building a team of experts and learning by doing rather than obtaining a PhD before starting.
Remora's approach is point source capture, deemed more efficient and cost-effective than direct air capture due to the higher concentration of CO2 in exhaust.
Traditional point source capture methods using liquid solvents have drawbacks like corrosiveness and toxicity, which Remora's pellet-based system aims to overcome.
The company successfully went through Y Combinator with just an idea, using the program to set a high pace and take necessary risks early on.
Remora chose to establish its manufacturing headquarters near Detroit to access specialized talent in mechanical engineering and experience with vibrating and shocked environments, rather than solely relying on Silicon Valley.
They emphasize the importance of ambitious goals, stating that tackling the hardest, most interesting problems attracts top talent and can lead to greater outcomes.
Remora is building its devices in-house to enable faster iteration cycles and maintain vertical integration for production, improving manufacturability and efficiency.
They utilize a simulator with a real truck engine in a shipping container attached to a dynamometer to test device performance under various simulated road conditions, accelerating development.
Remora has secured $117 million in venture funding and signed evaluation agreements with major freight companies, aiming to capture a billion tons of CO2 annually.
The technology has potential applications beyond transportation, including generators, gas production, container ships, cement plants, and refineries.

Conclusion

Remora's innovative mobile carbon capture technology offers a promising solution for reducing emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors like transportation.

The company's strategy of retrofitting existing vehicles and creating a market for captured CO2 demonstrates a dual benefit of environmental impact and economic viability.

Founders are encouraged to pursue ambitious, challenging projects that attract top talent and have the potential for significant global impact.