Synthetic Trees to Catch CO2

04 July, 2009 06:20:00

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Scientists from the Columbia University are developing a "synthetic tree" capable of collecting CO2 around 1,000 times faster than the real thing.

Klaus Lackner, a geophysicist at Columbia, has been working for more than ten years at the project, according to a CNN report, and is optimistic about a near-future application.

The technology is expensive, but it exists now, Mr. Lackner said, suggesting that the first synthetic trees could be up and collecting within two years.

Lackner claims that the technology is similar to what is used to collect carbon from flue stacks at coal-fired power plants, but the synthetic tree can be used anywhere. It could potentially be most useful at gathering carbon from small, distributed sources like gasoline in cars and jet fuel from planes--places where carbon is otherwise impossible to collect.

Rendering of what a “synthetic tree” might look like. Resin filters on top would
capture CO2 from the ambient air. The CO2 is then removed at the bottom
using a series of moisture and compression steps.

A single synthetic tree unit could, Lackner estimates, remove a ton of CO2 daily. That's the amount of CO2 produced by 20 average cars in the U.S. It's not cheap--each ton costs $200 to remove--but it's not much more than companies that buy CO2 pay for carbon credits.

This concept does not come cheap with manufacturing of each “synthetic tree” costing $30,000 to make. There are about 135.9 million cars in the U.S. - meaning at least 6.8million of these trees would be needed.

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