Archrock, an energy infrastructure company with a primary focus on midstream natural gas compression, will serve as the lead investor in a Series A financing round for Ionada, a carbon capture technology company with offices in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Norway. Archrock joins a group of investors that includes Yinson Production, NGIF Cleantech Ventures LP, and Halliburton Company’s energy and climate technology accelerator, Halliburton Labs, as shareholders in the company.
Ionada has developed a post-combustion carbon capture solution that combines proprietary hollow fiber membrane contactors with amine solvents. This modular carbon capture system is designed and engineered for small- to mid-sized industrial emitters in the energy, marine, and e-fuels industries, among others.
Ionada’s carbon capture solution combines chemical absorption processes with porous ceramic tube membranes to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas without creating a throwaway sludge product. CO2 is separated from exhaust gas and captured by an absorbent solution passing through hollow ceramic membranes made of alumina. The company says this material provides high absorption efficiency and durability in the hot and corrosive exhaust environment and has an estimated minimum service life of 10 years.
Ionada’s membrane CO2 absorber uses amines absorbents for the removal of gases from the exhaust gases. Cold amines solutions are circulated in the membrane contactor to bind CO2. The binding is reversed at higher temperatures.
Ionada has conducted research and development and completed successful testing in a lab setting. Archrock’s investment is expected to be used primarily for additional research and development as well as the construction of field demonstration units.
“We believe Ionada’s carbon capture system is a practical and economic solution for small-scale carbon capture in a number of industrial sectors, including the natural gas compression industry,” said Edoardo Panziera, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ionada.
“Archrock’s investment in Ionada supports our new ventures strategy of diversifying into complementary businesses that have the potential to both decarbonize hydrocarbons and create meaningful long-term value for Archrock and its shareholders,” said Brad Childers, Archrock’s president and CEO. “Ionada has significant experience with developing emissions reductions technology in the marine sector and we are excited to partner with them on this scalable and cost-efficient carbon capture technology as Ionada advances into the field demonstration phase of its technology development. In conjunction with the work we continue to progress on methane capture, successful application of this technology in natural gas compression could contribute meaningfully to the industry’s efforts to reduce emissions.”
