Baker Hughes and HIF Global, a leading manufacturer of eFuels, announced on March 7 an agreement to cooperate on the development of CO2 Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. The two companies plan to test Baker Hughes’ Mosaic DAC technology pilot units to accelerate DAC deployment at commercial scales. 

“Ground-breaking technologies like Mosaic that enable efficient, low-cost CO2 capture from our atmosphere represent the future of CO2 recycling,” said Cesar Norton, HIF Global CEO. “Cooperation with our partner Baker Hughes on this important DAC initiative accelerates our plan to capture 25 million tons per year of CO2 and combine it with green hydrogen to produce 150,000 barrels per day of eFuels and decarbonize over 5 million vehicles in use today.”

HIF anticipates deploying the Mosaic DAC at their existing operation in the Magallanes region of Chile, where HIF has collaborated with Porsche, Enel Green Power , Siemens Energy, Empresas Gasco, Exxon Mobil and the Chilean state-owned energy company ENAP to establish the Haru Oni Demonstration Plant, which successfully produced their first liters of synthetic gasoline in December 2022. 

The facility utilizes renewable energy from wind to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. At the same time, it captures CO2 from the atmosphere, using synthesis to combine the CO2 and green hydrogen to produce eFuels, including carbon-neutral methanol, carbon-neutral gasoline and carbon-neutral liquefied gas.

The eFuels produced at the Haru Oni facility can be used directly in existing infrastructure, paving a way for the infrastructure to become carbon-neutral by continuously reusing and recycling CO2 without requiring major modifications. Haru Oni is projected to produce 350 tons/year of eMethanol and 130,000 liters/year of eGasoline.

In addition to the Haru Oni facility, HIF also anticipates deploying Baker Hughe’s Mosaic DAC technology at the planned HIF Matagorda eFuels Facility in Matagorda County, Texas, which is expected to begin construction in 2024. The Matagorda County facility is projected to produce approximately 200 million gal/year of carbon-neutral gasoline by 2027 and potentially decarbonize 400,000 vehicles, according to HIF Global Executive Director, Meg Gentle.

“Collaboration is key to supporting and accelerating the energy transition to address climate change, and we are pleased to work alongside HIF to support their significant efforts in deploying eFuels at scale, leveraging our Mosaic DAC technology,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes. “This milestone agreement further illustrates the strength of Baker Hughes’ extended portfolio of Climate Technology Solutions, which includes a variety of CCUS [carbon capture, utilization and storage] technologies, and validates our strategy and commitment toward decarbonization.”