This Climate Tech Startup Wants to Capture Carbon and Help Data Centers Cool Down
Data centers are an increasing climate problem due to the substantial energy required to train AI models, significantly inflating tech companies’ carbon footprints. A promising solution is emerging from a startup named 280 Earth, which spun out of Google’s X, the company's “moonshot factory.” This innovative technology not only captures carbon dioxide from the air but also uses waste heat from servers and generates water to help cool data centers more efficiently.
A $40 Million Agreement for Carbon Capture
280 Earth recently secured a $40 million deal to capture CO₂ emissions from several major companies through Frontier, an initiative launched by Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey in 2022 to support emerging carbon removal technologies. The agreement includes major brands such as Autodesk, H&M Group, JPMorgan Chase, and Workday.
Filtering CO₂ out of the air is becoming a popular strategy among companies striving to meet sustainability targets, especially those struggling to reduce their emissions by switching to clean energy. Frontier has facilitated deals between big tech firms and startups exploring various carbon capture methods, including rocks, liquid smoke, and even sewage.
Efficient and Continuous Carbon Capture Technology
280 Earth's technology involves modules containing sorbents that filter CO₂ out of the air. Unlike traditional direct air capture (DAC) plants that operate in large batches, 280 Earth’s system continuously moves the sorbent between two chambers. This avoids the energy loss associated with reheating and cooling, making the process more efficient.
John Pimentel, CEO of 280 Earth, compares their technology to a professional pizza oven, which retains heat better than a home oven, thus operating more efficiently. The continuous operation reduces the energy required for capturing CO₂, making the process more sustainable and cost-effective.
Additionally, the technology captures water vapor from the air, providing an extra benefit to data centers by generating two to four tons of water for every ton of CO₂ captured. This water can be used to cool data centers, which typically consume large amounts of electricity and water to prevent overheating.
Addressing the Broader Climate Challenge
Carbon dioxide removal is a crucial strategy to mitigate climate change by reducing the pollution already in the atmosphere. However, there are concerns about the cost, safety, and potential delay in transitioning from fossil fuels to carbon-neutral energy. Experts emphasize that carbon removal should complement, not replace, efforts to prevent greenhouse gas emissions.
280 Earth's technology offers a symbiotic relationship with data centers and other industrial facilities needing water and producing waste heat. The startup's modules can utilize waste heat from these facilities to capture CO₂, thus addressing both the emission and cooling challenges.
Despite the initial high costs—over $600 per ton of captured CO₂—the company aims to scale up its operations to reduce expenses. 280 Earth’s pilot facility in Oregon, completed in May, is projected to capture 61,600 tons of CO₂ by 2030. Most of the captured CO₂ will be transported to underground storage wells in the US.
A Small Step Towards a Bigger Goal
While this initial deal represents a small fraction of Google’s annual carbon emissions (14.3 million metric tons in 2023), it is a critical step towards a scalable solution. Pimentel acknowledges that transitioning off fossil fuels will take decades and believes that carbon removal technologies can provide a crucial interim solution to mitigate ongoing CO₂ emissions.
280 Earth’s innovative approach demonstrates the potential of combining carbon capture with energy-efficient operations in data centers, providing a multi-faceted solution to one of the tech industry’s most pressing environmental challenges.
FAQs
1. What problem is 280 Earth addressing? 280 Earth aims to tackle the significant carbon emissions from data centers by capturing CO₂ from the air, using waste heat from servers, and generating water for cooling systems.
2. How does 280 Earth's technology work? The technology uses modules with sorbents to continuously filter CO₂ from the air. This process avoids the energy loss of traditional batch operations, making it more efficient.
3. What is the significance of the $40 million deal? The deal, supported by the Frontier initiative, will enable 280 Earth to capture CO₂ emissions for major companies, including Google, Meta, and JPMorgan Chase.
4. How does 280 Earth's solution benefit data centers? Besides capturing CO₂, the technology generates water from the air, which can be used to cool data centers, thus addressing both emissions and cooling needs.
5. What are the broader implications of this technology? While not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, carbon removal technologies like 280 Earth’s provide a vital interim solution to mitigate ongoing CO₂ emissions while transitioning to cleaner energy.
Conclusion
280 Earth’s innovative technology represents a promising solution for reducing the carbon footprint of data centers. By capturing CO₂ and generating water, the startup addresses both emissions and cooling challenges, contributing to the broader goal of mitigating climate change.
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