8 MiMfg Magazine July 2021
MFG Game Changers
How Mobile Carbon Capture Might Save the World
Remora is a Detroit-based startup pioneering a technology that could quite literally save the world by capturing nearly all carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions from vehicle tailpipes to be sold to companies that have a need for CO2 such as concrete makers and greenhouses .
The concept for Remora started the way most groundbreaking ideas do — with a nagging question . Why aren ’ t we capturing carbon emissions from vehicle tailpipes ? It ’ s an idea that 24-year-old Remora CEO and co-founder Paul Gross was obsessed with during his senior year at Yale as a way to protect the environment from harmful CO2 emissions and potentially have a national impact on climate change .
“ I just couldn ’ t get the idea out of my head ,” says Gross . “ Why aren ’ t we capturing CO2 from every vehicle tailpipe ? Especially the heavy-duty semi-trucks that aren ’ t going to be electrified any time soon ?”
Remora ’ s carbon capture device mounts between the tractor and trailer , capturing 80 percent of CO2 emissions . The gas can then be offloaded while the truck refuels and is eventually sold back to end users . Trucking companies using the device get to share in the revenue generated by Remora .
It ’ s a big idea from a very new company . Remora came into being just last year , but they ’ re already backed by some heavyweight Silicon Valley investors .
The technology was developed using the innovative work that co-founder and Chief Science Officer Christina Reynolds recently pioneered while pursuing her PhD at the University of Michigan — making Reynolds one of the world ’ s
Remora ’ s Harding ( left ) and Reynolds work on a prototype for the company ’ s mobile carbon capture device which captures roughly 80 percent of a semi-truck ’ s CO2 emissions .
leading experts in mobile carbon capture . The third member of the Remora team is Eric Harding , Remora ’ s Chief Technology Officer . He had been a diesel semi-truck mechanic for a decade prior to returning to U of M for a master ’ s degree in mechanical engineering , and has also built hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric semitrucks for some of the world ’ s largest automotive companies .
The driving force behind Remora is to make an impact on the environment — and doing it now .
“ We can ’ t wait 10 or 20 years for a solution to finally come to market ,” says Gross . “ The really attractive aspect of our technology is that it ’ s ready to go now . Our first units will be on our customers ’ trucks in October .”
Global Impact
Installing a single catch-andrelease device on a semi-truck can be carbon equivalent to planting 6,200 trees , according to Gross . Make no mistake , Gross and the Remora team want their technology to have a significant global impact .
“ We want to get a device on every truck in the country . If we
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can achieve that , we could be capturing about 340 million tons of carbon dioxide a year .”
What ’ s more , Gross believes Remora Carbon can actually help semi-trucks become carbon negative . “ If we pair our device with a carbon-neutral fuel , like a biofuel or renewable natural gas , we can actually make a tractor trailer truck carbon negative by capturing those emissions .”
And to think it all started with a nagging idea that led to some research , that unearthed an obscure doctoral dissertation , which facilitated a conversation , that turned into a business plan , that attracted the skills of a brilliant mechanical engineer and the dollars of multiple investors — all of which are helping to answer a serious problem threatening our entire planet . 6