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Technology

Modular and Highly Adaptable Membrane Capture

Cool Planet Technologies’ end of pipe carbon capture solution is modular, simple, scalable, compact, low height, solvent free, reliable and highly adaptable.

Cool Planet’s technology is based around the PolyActive™ membrane originally developed by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon institute and benefits from over 15 years of research and development, five industrial pilots and over 12 years of operations. PolyActive™ is a flat sheet solution diffusion membrane selective for carbon dioxide.

The membranes are packed into patented modules which optimise scaling with maximum separation efficiency. The design of the membrane modules has been continuously improved over successive generations with the 3rd Generation module currently operational and the 4th Generation being developed. The 4th Generation modules will be optimised for automated mass production and will have twice the capture capacity of the current 3rd Generation modules, making the already compact technology even smaller whilst further reducing costs. The new modules will be utilised for Cool Planet’s upcoming projects up to mega-tonne per annum scale and will use membrane manufactured by Cool Planet in a new dedicated production facility being built in Austria.

For heavy industrial emissions Cool Planet’s process requires significantly lower energy and delivers lower costs per tonne of CO2 captured than conventional technologies.

A Complete Capture Solution

Cool Plant works in close collaboration with emitters to understand the technical and commercial dynamics of their plant to design and deliver an optimised capture solution from flue to export which is integrated into the plants’ existing process.

Pre-processing systems are engineered by Cool Planet to the specific flue gas properties.
The core technology comprises of membrane-based patented carbon capture modules and integrating system, coupled with high performance energy recovery. The highly flexible and scalable system allows the capture of any flue gas volume to the required CO2 recovery rate and CO2 purity. Standard recovery and purity rates are greater than 95%.
The post-processing can be customised to the required export or utilisation requirements for the captured CO2. Features can include purification to pipeline or food-grade specifications. Export can be via liquefaction or gas export.
Pre-processing systems are engineered by Cool Planet to the specific flue gas properties.
The core technology comprises of membrane-based patented carbon capture modules and integrating system, coupled with high performance energy recovery. The highly flexible and scalable system allows the capture of any flue gas volume to the required CO2 recovery rate and CO2 purity. Standard recovery and purity rates are greater than 95%.
The post-processing can be customised to the required export or utilisation requirements for the captured CO2. Features can include purification to pipeline or food-grade specifications. Export can be via liquefaction or gas export.

Cool Planet’s capture technology is intrinsically modular and scales by adding additional membrane modules to reach to required capacity of the capture plant. As a result Cool Planet can offer a very wide range of capture plant sizes while still benefiting from the advantages of modularity.

Competitive Advantages

Performance

Up to 50% lower cost per tonne captured*
Highly compact and modular – up to 50% less footprint*
High capture performance – up to 99% capture rate at 99.9% purity

Operational

Fast upturn and response time
Robust membranes – suitable for demanding industrial conditions
Upgradable

Environmental

Electrically/renewably powered
Chemical free process – no solvents required
Very low water consumption – no humidification of flue required
*Compared to conventional capture technology

Scaling and Development

Building upon 15 years of development and 12 years of operations and multiple industrial pilots Cool Planet Technologies is rapidly progressing the scaling of its technology. This is the result of close collaboration between Cool Planet, emitters and Cool Planet’s research and development partner, the Hereon Institute. Cool Planet expects to have a 100,000 tpa capture plant operational by the end of the decade followed by an 800,000 tpa plant.

2027
2027

The Höver Phase 2 plant will be upgraded with a 4th Generation membrane module and supply CO2 as a feedstock to the ICO2NIC consortium.

2026
2026

Hereon Combined Heat and Power. An operational 5,000 tpa plant with a 3rd Generation membrane module at the Hereon Institute, Geesthacht, Germany.

2026
2026

Höver Phase 2. An operational 10,000 tpa commercial plant with a 3rd Generation membrane module at Holcim’s Höver cement plant at Hanover, Germany.

2025
2025

Grimsby, UK Cool Planet successfully demonstrates its third-generation carbon capture membrane module, marking a transformative milestone in the industrial scaling of its carbon capture technology.

2024
2024

Ongoing pilot at Dillinger Hüttenwerke steel plant in Germany under the MemKoWI programme using a containerised unit.

2022
2022

Höver Phase 1.  Pilot at Holcim’s cement plant using containerised unit with 2nd generation membrane module.

2019
2019

Further pilot at EnBW Karlsruhe hard coal power station under BMWI MemPor II using containerised unit with 1st generation membrane module.

2018
2018

Pilot at EnBW Karlsruhe hard coal power station under BMWI MemPor I using containerised unit with 1st generation membrane module.

2014
2014

PolyActive™ membrane operational in world’s first bioreactor in Hamburg.  Operations are going.

2014
2014

Pilot at EnBW Karlsruhe hard coal power station under BMWI MetPor II using containerised unit with 1st generation membrane module.

2010
2010

Development of the PolyActive™ membrane commences at the Hereon Institute in Germany

Industries

Cool Planet Technologies capture solution is highly adaptable for industrial emissions with high CO2 concentrations where robust long term high performance required.