Avnos launches the world’s first hybrid direct air capture system in California

Avnos, a Los Angeles-based startup that provides hybrid direct air capture (HDAC) technology on Monday (Oct.6) said it has begun operations of its first commercial project in Bakersfield, California.

Developed in partnership with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) Avnos' HDAC technology promises to remove carbon dioxide from the air and generate water using electricity. The Bakersfield pilot is expected to capture approximately 30 tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide and produce 150 tons of water daily.

"Removing legacy carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere is essential to addressing the negative effects of our changing climate, one of the most pressing issues of our lifetime. Doing so without further strain on our natural resources is something that the team at Avnos has worked tirelessly to achieve," said Will Kain, CEO of Avnos. 

"We take a great deal of pride in launching this pilot, thereby proving the efficacy and scalability of our unique HDAC solution."

The Avnos proprietary HDAC technology is based on research from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Using its first-of-its-kind moisture-responsive CO2 adsorbent, Avnos HDAC technology produces water as it captures CO2 eliminating the need for an external heat input. 

"Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in a water and energy-efficient manner was a key reason for the early research into HDAC technology," said Pete McGrail, retired Laboratory Fellow at PNNL. 

"It is exciting to see that initial idea come to life through deployment of this HDAC demonstration system. The operational experience being gained is critical to scaling up HDAC technology for applications that can have a real impact in meeting net carbon emission reduction goals." 

Avnos claims the enhancements to HDAC, help reduce operating costs, improve resource efficiency, and support its applications in many more geographies.

"The ability to scale carbon management projects while advancing the underlying technologies could be critical to achieving the state's ambitious goal of sequestering 100 million metric tons of CO2 by 2045," says Neil Navin, Chief Clean Fuels Officer at SoCalGas. 

The latest developments follow the recent $80M strategic partnership announcement between Avnos, ConocoPhillips, JetBlue Technology Ventures, the corporate venture capital division of JetBlue, and Shell Ventures LLC, the US venture capital arm of Shell aimed at expediting the implementation of Avnos' unique approach.