Pilot Energy and Capture6 launch Project Wallaby to enhance carbon removal in Western Australia
Pilot Energy collaborates with Capture6 to implement advanced carbon removal and water treatment technologies at the Mid West Clean Energy Project, marking a significant step towards regional decarbonisation.
In a significant development in the field of carbon removal and environmental sustainability, Pilot Energy has entered into a joint development agreement with Capture6 to implement Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology and water treatment facilities at the Mid West Clean Energy Project (MWCEP) in Western Australia. This initiative marks another step towards enhancing decarbonisation efforts in the region.
The collaborative endeavour, announced recently, will commence in 2025 when Capture6 plans to begin demonstrations of its innovative DAC and clean water technology at Pilot's Arrowsmith site. The project will be backed by a $6.5 million grant from the Commonwealth Carbon Capture Technologies Program (CCTP) and will officially be known as Project Wallaby, with nearly 80% of its resources allocated to Capture6 and 20% to Pilot Energy.
Project Wallaby is scheduled to unfold in four distinct phases, in alignment with the MWCEP's developmental timeline. The first phase — the demonstration phase — is set to conclude successfully before moving swiftly into Phase 1a in 2026. This latter phase aims to expand operations and facilitate revenue generation through the sale of produced water, low-carbon chemicals, and high-purity carbon dioxide.
By 2028/2029, Phase 2 of Project Wallaby is expected to achieve full-scale deployment. This phase anticipates managing around 2 gigaliters of water produced from CO2 storage operations while striving to remove approximately 80,000 tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide annually. Looking ahead, Project Wallaby anticipates entering its final phase by 2030, where it aspires to escalate its DAC capabilities to an impressive 350,000 tonnes per year, marking a significant enhancement in carbon removal capacity.
Chairman of Pilot Energy, Brad Lingo, expressed optimism about the partnership, stating, “The world-leading technology Capture6 can bring to the MWCEP can materially reduce the cost and environmental impact of the MWCEP’s water handling system. It has also demonstrated the potential to generate revenue from the future sale of carbon removal credits and by-products, which may include hydrogen.”
Ethan Cole, co-founder and CEO of Capture6, shared enthusiasm regarding the collaboration, highlighting the importance of their work in the context of decarbonisation in Western Australia and the ongoing issue of water insecurity in the region.
The Carbon Herald is reporting that if the demonstration phase succeeds, it could lead to cost reductions in water treatment related to future carbon storage operations at MWCEP, potentially opening up new streams of revenue from the sale of carbon removal credits.
As public and private entities increasingly focus on combatting climate change, Project Wallaby represents a noteworthy effort within the carbon removal sector, reflecting ongoing advancements in technology and strategy aimed at reducing atmospheric CO2 levels while addressing regional water needs.
Source: Noah Wire Services