Advancing CO2 Mineralization Through Gas Processing
Funded through the Grand Challenge: Innovative Carbon Uses Round 1 in 2014, the New Sky Energy project aimed to demonstrate a novel, low-energy process for sweetening sour natural gas while capturing and mineralizing carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable carbonate products. The project focused on deploying New Sky’s proprietary SulfurCycle and CarbonCycle technologies, which convert hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and CO2 into elemental sulfur, hydrogen gas, sodium hydroxide, and carbonates such as soda ash and sodium bicarbonate. These processes offer a sustainable alternative to conventional gas sweetening and carbonate production, which are typically energy-intensive and emit significant greenhouse gases.
Over the course of the project, New Sky Energy successfully piloted its technologies at natural gas fields and industrial sites in the United States, including a large-scale demonstration in Oklahoma and a CO2 capture and mineralization pilot at Avery Brewing in Colorado. The company’s integrated approach not only reduced emissions but also created marketable by-products, proving the commercial viability of its system. With strong performance across a wide range of gas compositions and promising results in both technical and economic terms, the project laid the groundwork for future deployment in Alberta and beyond.
Demonstrating Commercial Viability Through Field Pilots
To validate its technology under real-world conditions, New Sky Energy conducted a series of successful pilot projects, including a large-scale field demonstration at a sour gas site in Oklahoma. There, the company’s SulfurCycle E system treated up to 30,000 standard cubic feet per day of sour natural gas, removing nearly all hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide to produce pipeline-quality gas. The captured CO2 was mineralized into high-purity soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, while the hydrogen sulfide was converted into elemental sulfur and hydrogen gas. These pilots not only confirmed the technical feasibility of the process but also demonstrated its economic potential, with operating costs lower than conventional gas sweetening methods. The success of these demonstrations laid the foundation for commercial deployment and attracted interest from partners in both the U.S. and Canada.
What’s next?
While New Sky Energy did not proceed with a commercial project in Alberta following the completion of its project, the company continued to advance its SulfurCycle and CarbonCycle technologies in the United States. New Sky also developed two complementary technologies to pair with CarbonCycle for removing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from sour gas. These systems were successfully piloted at a natural gas field in Oklahoma and a brewery in Colorado and later deployed commercially in Wyoming. The company established an office in Alberta and expressed a strong interest in local deployment. However, they were not awarded Round 2 funding, as they were unable to secure a commercial partner in time for the competition. Despite this, their patented processes remain highly relevant for jurisdictions seeking low-energy, carbon-negative solutions for gas treatment and CO2 utilization.