No, Martin Brouillette, a professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, was not driven by a passion for the environment. As a leading figure in technological development, specializing in aerospace and medical devices, climate change was never an issue. Brouillette: At the turn of the century, my children Caroline, Louis and Élise started telling me: “You are an inventor, do something about it. We have to find a solution.” I would systematically answer him: “I know nothing about the environment. It’s not my specialty.”
Source of the article
But in 2018, his mindset began to change. Motivated by the realization that inaction was no longer an option, he decided to explore how his expertise could contribute to climate change. 6 years later, his company Skyrenu became an XPRIZE finalist.
A project, a prize, a partnership
The adventure began with Gabriel Vézina. The young PhD graduate received numerous job offers, but nothing excited him. Seeing an opportunity, Martin started by hiring Gabriel for a year—just to educate him on the secrets of climate change. Martin: “I asked him to brief me on the pressing issues of global warming so we could identify a project where we could make a difference.” This is how DAC was born, a modular, on-site direct air capture system that captures the CO2 directly from the atmosphere and uses an inexpensive and environmentally friendly solid adsorbent. In 2021, the project won the prestigious XPRIZE student competition. That same year, Martin and Gabriel launched Skyrenu Technologies Inc., based on their first patent, filed a year earlier.
A prototype for 10 tonnes per year
Skyrenu's journey now continues with a focus on refining and scaling its DAC technology. Martin: "In 2023, we built a prototype capable of removing 10 tons of CO2 per year. This prototype, now operational for a year, allows us to learn, refine and improve the system. With our team of 8 people, we are preparing the ground for future expansion, thanks also to the participation of Deep Sky and CarbonFix.
Canada is made for Skyrenu
Skyrenu returns the residue of CO2 to the source where it was created: the rocks from Canadian mines. Martin: “Canada, with its rich mining history, is perfect for us. Carbon can be stored there for millions of years. In addition, the country’s reliance on hydroelectric power means that green, cost-effective energy is readily available, which is a perfect fit for our needs. We have sold an initial system to Deep Sky for their test facility in Alberta, Canada, and this will represent an initial scale-up of our technology to capture 50 tonnes of CO2 per year." Skyrenu's achievements placed them among the 20 finalists in the XPRIZE competition, out of 1 entrants – a true David versus Goliath scenario. The team is both proud and surprised by their progress, but knows that scaling will be difficult.
A whole new industry
Martin: "We have identified and solved the technical problems at our current scale. To have a significant impact on climate change, we will need to remove gigatons of CO2To achieve this, it will be necessary to produce thousands of DAC machines and create an entire industry, including the supply chain, manufacturing infrastructure, compliance, etc.
Who will pay ?
“The question is, who will fund this massive undertaking?” says Martin. “Initiatives like CarbonFix are critical because they not only provide us with financial support, but also credibility and relationships that can help us scale our operations. Their philanthropic approach gives us hope that we can mobilize the resources needed to make large-scale carbon removal a reality.”
Skyrenu’s journey is far from over, but its progress shows what can be accomplished when science meets pragmatism and innovation meets determination. As their work grows, their work could play a central role in the global effort to combat climate change.
See the original article: https://carbonfix.org/blog/skyrenu-from-childrens-concerns-to-megatonnes-of-net-co2-removal/
