22-03-2023

GE and Svante to develop carbon capture technology for power generation

GE Gas Power, part of GE Vernova and Svante today announced a joint development agreement to develop and evaluate solid sorbent-based carbon capture technology for natural gas power generation applications. In addition, GE has made an equity investment in Svante as a part of Svante’s US $318-million Series E fundraising round in December 2022.

In 2022, GE announced that GE Vernova would spin off from GE in 2024 as a business purpose-built to lead the energy transition. This builds on GE’s sustainability commitments and position in the energy industry, where GE technology provides approximately 30% of the world’s electricity. GE is developing and commercializing a number of breakthrough technologies to drive the energy transition including carbon capture through industrial and technology research collaborations, including the agreement with and investment in Svante.

“The climate crisis and our world require immediate and sustained action and investment into crucial technologies like carbon capture which can deliver meaningful reductions in emissions and play a key role in the energy transition,” said Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova. “We are excited to work with a technology innovator like Svante to drive collective progress on developing carbon capture solutions for the energy industry aiming to deliver more sustainable, affordable, and reliable electricity for more people.”

“We are pleased to welcome GE both as a strategic commercial collaborator and an investor in Svante, alongside our other strategic value chain partners and investors,” said Claude Letourneau, Svante’s President and CEO. “GE’s 130+ years of experience in energy applications will be invaluable to us as we rapidly scale our operations and manufacturing capacity to be able to capture millions of tonnes of CO2 from diverse industrial sites around the world.”

Svante’s novel carbon capture filters are made by coating solid adsorbents, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), onto thin sheets of laminate that are stacked to become the company’s nano-engineered filters. These filters can be used in multiple applications for capturing CO2 at refineries, cement, steel, aluminum, lime, boilers, pulp & paper, and more. The technology can be used for point-source post-combustion carbon capture in which the filters take CO2 out of industrial flue gas (the source of the emission) and prevent it from reaching the atmosphere. Because of the wide array of industries the company serves, Letourneau says Svante's technology can be applied to 85% of the total carbon capture and removal segment.

The JDA between GE Gas Power and Svante will focus on further development and commercialization of novel solid sorbent technologies “aimed at decarbonizing natural gas-fired turbines in a cost-effective, environmentally responsible manner,” said Letourneau. “We are excited about the potential we have to open up an entirely new array of opportunities, aiming to provide carbon-free electricity in the future through the deployment of projects across gas-fired power generation facilities."