An startup that has grown out of research at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in the northern city of Haifa seeks to boost coastal power, and desalination plant efficiency and cost-effectiveness, by removing limescale and other marine debris from cooling systems without harmful chemicals while absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to help fight global warming.
The startup, MOZAICO, is developing a two-stage pilot under the supervision of Prof. Charlotte Vogt and her Vogt Laboratory of Catalysis for Fuels of the Future at the Technion.
The Dutch-born Vogt, 32, was included in Forbes’ “30 under 30” list of rising stars in European science and healthcare in 2021.
Or Mayraz, one of her team managing a stall at last week’s Blue Tech Summit in Haifa, explained that seawater flowing into pipes will pass through electrochemical cells with specially designed electrodes. These cells turn the water alkaline to encourage the formation of carbon-based minerals.
The second stage separates the minerals into a pure form of calcium carbonate. This can be sold to industry for products such as paper, paint, and plastics, helping to reduce the need to mine new limestone. The latter damages the environment.
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Power and desalination plants pay for chemicals to remove limescale. The wastewater is discharged into the sea, causing environmental harm.
Prof. Charlotte Vogt of the Vogt Laboratory of Catalysis for Fuels of the Future at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. (Nitzan Zohar)
According to Mayruz, MOZAICO’s technology is clean. It uses little electricity and requires no heating, chemicals, or additives. It also absorbs CO₂ from the air and seawater.
“We have completed several stages of proof of concept, technologically and scientifically,” said Mayruz. “Now we are demonstrating the pilot and looking for funding.”
He added, “We eliminate the cost of buying the chemicals, stop the discharge of such chemicals into the sea, generate income from the pure calcium carbonate for the company, and capture CO₂, all while improving the efficiency of coastal power and desalination plants.”
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