Mote Inc. has secured $1.2 million (€1.1 million) in grant funding from the US Forest Service, the California Department of Conservation, and the California Department of Forestry (CAL FIRE) to establish its second plant that converts biomass to hydrogen and captures carbon. This initiative is in partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).
SMUD is collaborating with Mote as the hydrogen recipient for the upcoming facility in Sacramento. The completion of this project is expected to yield around 21,000 metric tonnes per year (MTPY) of carbon-negative hydrogen, which will be utilized for thermal power generation and transportation purposes.
Notably, this facility is projected to sequester over 450,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, which is equivalent to the CO2 emissions produced by over 100,000 cars every year.
The endeavor is garnering support from forestry stakeholders due to Mote’s capability to derive value from substantial quantities of wood waste. The project will utilize up to 300,000 MTPY of forest residues and wood waste that would otherwise be subjected to open-air burning, decomposition, or landfill disposal. The sources include regional forest management programs, such as those in the Sierra Nevadas.
Lora Anguay, the chief zero carbon officer at SMUD, emphasized the organization’s commitment to leveraging partnerships and advanced technologies to create environmentally friendly energy solutions. Anguay highlighted the ambitious 2030 Zero Carbon Plan, expressing how it aims to drive significant environmental change, promote large-scale utility decarbonization, and facilitate an equitable transition toward clean energy.
Mote’s revolutionary carbon-negative hydrogen approach is centered on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Following the model of their initial project near Bakersfield, this second plant will also incorporate carbon capture and geological sequestration techniques to produce carbon-negative hydrogen.
Through gasification and an exclusive integration of established technology, Mote effectively processes woody waste from agricultural, forestry, and urban sources. Any remaining carbon dioxide produced during the process is captured and securely stored underground in saline aquifers.
What sets Mote apart from other clean hydrogen ventures is its emphasis on carbon removal and storage. The organization’s product delivers hydrogen with a producer sale price and carbon intensity score markedly lower than its competitors, at -150 gCO2/MJ.
Joshuah Stolaroff, CEO of Mote, highlighted the urgent need for scalable carbon removal solutions in the ongoing energy transition. Mote’s transformative use of waste materials in combating climate change presents a cost-effective and resource-efficient alternative. With continuous support from partner organizations, Mote aims to play a significant role in the global journey toward achieving net-zero emissions.
