A new carbon-capture device is coming to the University of Calgary's Downtown campus later this month.
Developed by CarbinX Technologies, the device is the size of two refrigerators and captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas heating appliances, lowering the amount of the gas the six-storey building uses.
Jaeson Cardiff, CEO of CarbinX Technologies. Photo Courtesy of CarbinX Technologies
"The UCalgary Downtown campus will be the only building in the downtown core area that has this carbon capture in their building," says Jaeson Cardiff, CEO and co-founder of CarbinX Technologies, which, as a startup, was supported by the Creative Destruction Lab -Rockies (CDL-Rockies) program out of the Haskayne School of Business.
"It's a significant step for the university to build on their sustainability goals."
The UCalgary Downtown campus will get its first CarbinX device later this month. Photo Courtesy University of Calgary files
Installing the CarbinX unit will benefit the Downtown campus by reducing its overall consumption of natural gas while significantly reducing energy costs. The exact savings for UCalgary will be known once the device has been in operation for a few months.
This, in turn, will help the university advance its sustainability goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And, as part of CarbinX's agreement with UCalgary, cleaning supplies manufactured from the recycled carbon will be sent back to the university.
Leading the micro-scale carbon-capture industry
Back in 2005, Cardiff first noticed a gap between discussions about reducing greenhouse gas emissions versus the momentum to actually do something. At the time, he was a commercial plumber for a mechanical services company.
In 2017, after years of prototyping, CleanO2 CarbinX Technologies' parent company developed the world's first commercialized micro-scale carbon-capture solution. Since then, CarbinX Technologies has expanded its services to the U.S. and Japan.
CleanO2 was part of CDL-Rockies in 2018 and completed the course just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Cardiff says was a pivotal moment for the company.
"It challenged us in ways we hadn't considered and hardened our resolve to continue with our mission of reducing carbon emissions," says Cardiff, adding CarbinX Technologies shares its CDL-Rockies success story whenever it can, encouraging early stage companies and innovators to enrol in the program.
How it works
The CarbinX device helps reduce carbon emissions from heating systems that run on natural gas. When these systems are used, they release CO2 and waste heat into the air.
The CarbinX device in a mechanical room. Photo Courtesy of CarbinX Technologies
CarbinX captures some of that gas and runs it through a chamber with potassium hydroxide. This process creates extra heat that can be reused by the building, which saves energy.
At the same time, the CO2 is turned into potassium carbonate, a useful material found in things like soaps and fertilizer.
"We reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, which is in everybody's interest for environmental reasons, and we are also supporting the circular economy," says Cardiff.
From pollution to personal care
What makes CarbinX Technologies stand out is its approach to converting captured carbon into everyday products.
Initially, it faced challenges in finding a market for the potassium carbonate. However, the company discovered it could be used to make high-quality soap. This not only provides an extra revenue stream, it also serves as a reminder of incorporating sustainability into our daily lives.
"We largely focus on tangible products like soap and personal-care products because it's a really easy way to engage people to have discussions around energy literacy and carbon capture," says Cardiff, adding the soap is sold on CleanO2's website.
CDL-Rockies provides early support
Cardiff says CDL-Rockies provided his company with access to a network of experienced mentors, investors and scientists, helping it refine its business model and navigate the complexities of commercializing its innovative carbon-capture technology.
The structured program enabled CarbinX Technologies to set clear objectives, prioritize resources and secure essential funding.
"It was a completely different experience than any other accelerator program that I had gone through previously," Cardiff says. "As a result, I ended up creating these lifelong relationships with several people that I keep in touch with that are still part of the program, both internally and externally."
The company went on to Haskayne's ScaleUp program through CDL-Rockies, which provided CarbinX Technologies with tailored guidance for scaling operations and expanding market reach.
This combination of mentorship and strategic support was instrumental in the company's successful transition from a promising startup to a leader in the micro-scale carbon-capture industry.
Overcoming challenges and future plans
Developing the CarbinX device was not without challenges, Cardiff says, adding the heating industry can be slow to adopt new technologies, and regulatory hurdles can be significant.
But, despite these obstacles, CarbinX Technologies has garnered attention from gas utilities, boiler manufacturers and government agencies.
Cardiff envisions a future where carbon-capture devices become as standard as catalytic converters in vehicles, helping to manage emissions from buildings that rely on natural gas.
To learn more about the device, visit the CarbinX website.
What is CDL-Rockies and ScaleUp
- CDL-Rockies helps visionary innovators reduce the barriers that prevent their innovations from having a massive impact. Extraordinary, accomplished mentors and visionary innovators are selected and intentionally curated into teams, then situated into the program (Nurture, CDL, ScaleUp) that best suits their needs. Their innovations are stress-tested within each program's framework, preparing founders to successfully commercialize.
- CDL is an objectives-based mentorship program with a rigorous methodology that selects, situates and stress tests innovations, helping propel them toward commercial success. Unlike traditional accelerators and mentorship programs, CDL curates highly specialized teams of mentors, with extraordinary wisdom, helping innovators confront issues, develop plans, and grow businesses in a supportive, objectives-based environment.
- The Haskayne ScaleUp program is for executive leadership teams of commercial-stage companies that need to level up their organizational capabilities and stress-test their strategies for accelerated growth. The program provides a safe arena to calibrate executive teams' leadership maturity.
