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Leveraging the natural chemical balance of the world's oceans to achieve simultaneous atmospheric carbon dioxide removal and clean energy production is emerging as a powerful paradigm in climate technology. Founded in 2021 as a spin-off from UCLA and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Equatic is reportedly considered a pioneering deep-tech innovator commercializing seawater electrolysis that generates carbon-negative hydrogen while permanently trapping CO2.
At the core of Equatic’s technology is a closed-loop electrochemical reactor powered by renewable energy. Passing a low voltage through seawater reportedly converts dissolved carbon dioxide into solid calcium/magnesium carbonates and dissolved bicarbonate ions that remain stable in weakly alkaline ocean waters for over 10,000 years. Unlike open-ocean spreading, Equatic reportedly measures 100% of the bound carbon within its enclosed reactors, allowing it to be certified as high-integrity Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits. Crucially, the process reportedly captures roughly 30 kilograms of high-purity green hydrogen via sealed pipelines for every metric tonne of CO2 removed, serving as a dual-revenue engine that reportedly reduces net removal costs.
Equatic has reportedly secured patient capital from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Stripe. Partnering with Singapore’s national water agency (PUB), the company is reportedly constructing "Equatic-1"—a $20 million commercial facility in Tuas directly integrated into municipal desalination discharge streams. Furthermore, Equatic is said to have signed a major green hydrogen off-take agreement with Boeing to power sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The primary challenge for Equatic is reportedly seen in maintaining electrode durability during continuous electrolysis and scaling modular plants to achieve cost parity with fossil hydrogen. Expanding its coastal-integrated infrastructure globally is considered critical to accelerating the decarbonization of aviation and heavy industry.
We look forward to Equatic's continued challenges and successes. (AS)
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