Bio-Oil
United States
Charm Industrial
Humanity has emitted hundreds of gigatons of CO₂. Put it back underground with Charm.
About this project
Highlights —
- The world produces over 100 gigatons of biomass waste per year in the form of sawdust, nutshells, corn stover, and other agricultural by-products.
- Charm converts waste biomass into bio-oil through fast pyrolysis.
- What sets Charm apart is the focus on bio-oil production rather than seeking to produce a pure stream of CO2.
- It enables the conversion of cheap inputs like agricultural waste into a carbon-rich bio-oil that can be stored deep underground, leveraging an extensive infrastructure for moving and storing oil itself.
- ‘Pumping oil back into the ground’
Summary —
Charm converts waste biomass into bio-oil through fast pyrolysis. This means heating things like plant waste up to 500ºC for a few seconds in an oxygen-free chamber. This process produces bio-oil, a liquid chemical mixture sometimes used today as a fuel. Instead, Charm injects it in underground well...
Developer —
The San Francisco startup has been sequestering carbon for the past two years. Late last year, the company announced that the process has safely locked up nearly the equivalent of 5,500 tons of CO2 so far, which is the largest amount of long-term carbon removal delivered to date.