Baker Hughes, HIF Global to Develop Direct Air Capture Technology

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The two companies are pursuing a pilot test for the scaling up and deployment of direct air capture systems.

Baker Hughes and HIF Global are collaborating to research and develop a direct air capture (DAC) technology, i.e., capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere. The companies will test Baker Hughes’ Mosaic DAC technology pilot equipment to push DAC implementation more quickly at a larger scale, with the intent of increasing commercial adoption of the systems.

CEO of HIF Global Cesar Norton commented on the usefulness of DAC innovations, such as the Mosaic pilot program. Low-cost CO2 capture from the atmosphere represents a contender for handling CO2 recycling processes.

Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes, mentioned the importance this collaboration represents for extending its portfolio of climate technology solutions, particularly in regard to carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) adoption.

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Mosaic Materials, a subsidiary of Baker Hughes since April 2021, focuses on CCUS technology development. Their proprietary DAC technology is made up of metal-organic framework substances to enable the separation of CO2 from the air. Supporting the development and scalability of this technology is Baker Hughes’ knowledge of modular design and material science.

HIS has selected two initial sites where it believes Baker Hughes’ Mosaic can be deployed in the future. One is in Chile at the HIF Haru Oni eFuels facility, which began producing its first fuels back in December. The other is in Texas, which is expected to begin construction during 2024. Baker Hughes has dealt with CCUS technology for over 20 years. This includes pre-FEED and FEED advisement, project design, capture and purification, and more.