By Greentech Lead America: Mantra Energy Alternatives, a
subsidiary of Mantra Venture Group, has executed a technology development
agreement with Powertech Labs, a multidisciplinary research and testing
facility that specializes in clean energy consulting, independent testing and
power system solutions, for a carbon capture and recycling (CCR) pilot project.
“Powertech is a proven leader in designing and
testing clean technology solutions. Our work with them represents another
important step towards the testing and eventual commercialization of our ERC
process,” said Larry Kristof, Mantra’s president and CEO.
The agreement enables Mantra
to leverage Powertech’s testing facilities and expertise to advance the
technology behind Mantra’s Electro-reduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) process.
Powertech will help design the ERC demonstration unit for the pending carbon
capture and recycling (CCR) pilot project with Lafarge Canada, a subsidiary of
Lafarge North America, and a diversified supplier of construction materials.
Mantra’s ERC process aims to capture CO2 from industrial
activities, such as cement production, and convert it to marketable chemicals
like formate salts or formic acid. Mantra’s ERC pilot facility will be operated
at the Lafarge cement plant in Richmond, British Columbia.
Powertech will work closely with Mantra to identify
opportunities to increase performance and scalability of Mantra’s existing ERC
reactor, design a proof-of-concept CO2 enrichment process suitable for the
specific flue gas at the site to add to the front end of the ERC process and
create a conceptual design for the pilot plant that is capable of converting up
to 100 kilograms of CO2 per day to formate salts or formic acid.
“We are excited to work with Mantra on further
developing this innovative technology that helps companies reduce their carbon
footprint, while at the same time creating a commercially viable
byproduct,” said Nick Dominelli at Powertech.
Mantra also working with Pacific Carbon Trust, a British
Columbia Crown corporation, to assess the potential for Mantra’s ERC process to
generate carbon offsets, which could help the technology move towards full
commercialization.
Mantra Energy Alternatives receives patent for Electroreduction
of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) process
Recently, Mantra received a patent for its
Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) process from the Government of India’s
Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.