Carbon America is a carbon capture project and technology development company on a mission to drive meaningful climate impact. The company has developed FrostCC™, an innovative cryogenic-based carbon capture technology that advanced to Technology Readiness Level 6 in 2024 after a successful pilot and demonstration at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC)

Carbon America has developed a proprietary carbon capture system called FrostCC™ technology, which uses a cryogenic process to carbon dioxide capture from flue gas. By cooling, compressing, and expanding the gas, FrostCC™ desublimates CO2 into a solid that is then converted into a liquid for easy transport. The system is modular, factory-manufactured, and leverages mature, conventional equipment. It does not require water, operates on electricity (no steam), and can capture other pollutants like SOx and NOx.

PROJECTS

R&D at Arvada, CO Test Facility

• Location: Arvada, Colorado
• Capacity: Laboratory-scale testing
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 5 (achieve in 2022)
• Over 350 tests totaling 2,000+ hours were conducted across various concentrations and rates.

National Carbon Capture Center

• Location: National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC)
• Capacity: Capable of capturing 1,000+ tonnes of CO2 per year
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 6
• Successfully deployed an engineering-scale complete system using natural gas combustion flue gas. Operated for 1,000 hours.

Commercial Demonstration Plant

• Location: Multiple locations under consideration
• Capacity: 100 ktpa CO2
• Date of Startup: Expected deployment in 2027
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 8 to 9
• Carbon America is pursuing the deployment of initial commercial modules, with host interest and funding options under consideration.

ROADMAP

Collaboration Opportunities with Carbon America

• Technology Advancement: Collaborate on FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) studies and engineering advancement and technical research.

• Investment Opportunities: Participation in future funding rounds.

Development Phasing:

• Scaling & Optimization: Build and operate a 100,000 ton/year commercial first-of-a-kind plant at an industrial site with viable T&S for long-term operation and revenue generaton, with potential for scaling up.

• Commercialization: Transition to an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) role, including manufacturing and sale of modular FrostCC skids.

Carbon America adopts a hybrid business model, offering comprehensive value chain carbon capture and storage (CCS) project development. They can manage up to 100% of the CCS value chain while remaining technology agnostic, selecting the best solutions for each project. They typically operate their units to capture valuable operational insights, ensuring continuous improvement. While some clients prefer to manage operations and maintenance (O&M) themselves, Carbon America is open to flexible agreements that allow access to operational learnings.

They show adaptability in their approach to partnerships and ownership, whether it involves joint ventures, project ownership, or selling manufacturing capabilities while retaining the learnings from each project.

FrostCC™

FrostCC™ is a cryogenic CO2 capture technology that compresses, cools, and expands flue gas until CO2 solidifies (desublimation).

Process

The process begins with the hot flue gas being compressed and cooled using standard turbomachinery. As the gas cools, pollutants other than carbon dioxide are removed by condensing them into water, allowing for responsible disposal or treatment. The flue gas is then chilled further until the carbon dioxide solidifies on the inside walls of heat exchanger tubes, effectively separating it from the remaining gas. When the tubes approach clogging with solid CO2, the CO2 is melted back into a liquid form, facilitating its transportation and storage or use in a semi-batch process. The resulting cold nitrogen is recycled through the system to serve as an auto-refrigerant, enhancing overall efficiency.

System Design

• Modular, factory-manufactured skids for easy installation which is expected that minimizes CAPEX and OPEX.

• Uses conventional, mature equipment like gas compressors, expanders, and heat exchangers.

• Requires no water and captures pollutants like SOx and NOx.

• Suitable for a wide range of flue gases (3-40% CO2).

• Electric-only load.

• No need for thermal sources.

Carbon America solution is applicable to:

• Coal and natural gas power plants.

• Pulp & paper, cement and steel production, and other industrial plants.

• Hydrogen production from reformed methane.

Their CCS system is applicable for CO2 concentrations ranging from 3 to 40%.