New technology revealed by Bluemethane for capturing methane from water
In a bid to combat climate change, a UK-based startup named Bluemethane is making waves with its innovative technology for removing methane from various water sources. The company's mission is to address methane emissions, starting with wastewater treatment in the UK.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, contributes significantly to global warming. According to recent estimates, at least 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent are emitted annually from anthropogenic water bodies like reservoirs or rice paddies, and sewage.
Bluemethane's technology stands out because it does not require chemicals, membranes, or heating up the water. Instead, it replicates the process of shaking a bottle of sparkling water to speed up the separation of methane. This unique approach makes it an efficient and eco-friendly solution.
The technology fits inside a 20-foot container for all applications except large reservoirs. This compact design allows for easy deployment and flexibility in various settings.
Agriculture, including rice paddies and livestock, accounts for around 40% of human-caused methane emissions. Rice paddies, specifically, are part of this agricultural methane source due to anaerobic decomposition in flooded soils. Livestock, mainly cattle, contribute about 32% of anthropogenic methane emissions, mostly through enteric fermentation and manure management.
Reservoirs and other anthropogenic water bodies contribute a smaller fraction to methane emissions compared to agriculture and fossil fuels. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) contribute roughly 25-30% of anthropogenic methane emissions, with emissions coming from extraction, processing, and distribution leakage.
Bluemethane's initial focus is on wastewater treatment plants, industrial pretreatment, and anaerobic biomethane sites in the UK. The company has filed patents for its technology, with a prototype called Bluey at Cranfield University and a TRL6 technology called Harvey being built.
Utility companies in the UK have committed to achieving net-zero status by 2030, and Bluemethane's technology could play a crucial role in helping them meet this ambitious goal.
Bluemethane offers a methane measuring service to estimate the biomethane potential as a paid service. However, measuring dissolved methane in complex liquids like sewage is difficult due to a lack of technology. To address this challenge, Bluemethane is developing a financial instrument for hydropower reservoirs with The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance to enable hydropower operators to adopt the tech without incurring risks associated with new technology.
The startup was founded in 2021 by Louise Parlons Bentata and engineer Nestor Rueda-Vallejo. Bluemethane is part of the fifth cohort of the Our Socials GROW Impact Accelerator, demonstrating its potential to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change.
As awareness about methane emissions from water sources remains low, the work of companies like Bluemethane is more important than ever. By focusing on the UK market, Bluemethane is taking a strategic approach to make a difference in the fight against climate change.
[1] IPCC (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [2] EPA (2021). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2019. [3] FAO (2021). Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- In the field of environmental science, Bluemethane's groundbreaking technology in data-and-cloud-computing is being used to measure methane emissions from various water sources, aiding the fight against climate change.
- The UK-based startup, Bluemethane, is leveraging technology to solve the challenge of measuring dissolved methane in complex liquids like sewage, a crucial step in reducing methane emissions from anthropogenic water bodies.
- The startup, Bluemethane, is developing innovative solutions in technology for addressing climate-change issues, specifically focusing on the removal of methane from water sources, contributing to the mission of utility companies aiming to achieve net-zero status by 2030.
