Innovative CO2 Capture Initiative
Arca Climate Technologies, emerging from its parent entity Carbin Minerals, has launched a pioneering pilot project in collaboration with BHP. The project, supported by a C$1.25 million ($920,000) grant from the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE), aims to capture CO2 from mine waste. This initiative builds on Arca’s recognition as one of Canada’s top investable cleantech ventures and its previous win of a $1 million award from XPRIZE and the Musk Foundation in a carbon removal competition.
Arca’s Carbon Mineralization Technology
Arca is at the forefront of commercializing mineralization technologies for atmospheric CO2 capture and storage. The company’s approach involves using autonomous rovers, surface manipulation technologies, and machine learning algorithms to expedite carbon mineralization in mine tailings. This process is distinctive as it captures and stores atmospheric CO2 in a single step, producing verifiable and permanent carbon dioxide removal credits.
Potential of Mine Waste as a Carbon Sink
UBC Professor and Arca co-founder Greg Dipple highlighted the potential of mine waste as a significant carbon sink. The company’s mineral activation technology considerably speeds up the natural carbon mineralization process, turning mine waste into a valuable resource for climate change mitigation.
Collaborations and Future Prospects
Arca’s project has garnered attention from various mining companies, including Vale, Talon Metals, Poseidon Nickel, NickelSearch, and Blackstone Minerals, to assess the carbon mineralization potential of their mine tailings. CEO Paul Needham emphasized the urgency of addressing excessive atmospheric CO2 levels, noting that CICE’s support is pivotal for rapidly piloting negative emissions technologies alongside critical metal producers for the clean energy transition. 
