Mitsubishi Electric Establishes Foundational Technology for Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) System to Remove CO2 from Atmosphere via Seawater

Overview Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, in collaboration with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (VTT), has successfully established the foundational technology for a 'Direct Ocean Capture' (DOC) system that removes CO2 from the atmosphere via seawater. Moving forward, the company will seek new partners to accelerate demonstration tests and social implementation.

Background and Objectives With sustainability as the core of its management strategy, Mitsubishi Electric aims to commercialize DOC as a key technology for achieving carbon neutrality and nature positive goals. DOC is a form of marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) that promotes CO2 uptake by lowering CO2 concentrations in seawater, effectively drawing more CO2 from the atmosphere into the ocean.

Key Features 1. **Acidification Approach (acid-DOC)**: By introducing hydrogen ions to seawater to temporarily increase acidity, CO2 is recovered in gaseous form. Compared to the 'base-DOC' approach (recovering CO2 as solid carbonate), this method offers advantages for large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) and utilization (CCU). It also includes a re-circulation mechanism to suppress CO2 leakage. 2. **Resource Extraction**: The technology also aims to extract valuable resources from seawater during the CO2 capture process, diversifying the project's revenue structure. 3. **Easy Integration**: The system is designed for easy integration into existing large-scale seawater infrastructure, such as desalination plants and power stations, minimizing initial capital investment and accelerating widespread adoption.

Future Outlook The company will proceed with coastal field tests while actively seeking new partners to accelerate the commercialization of the technology.