XPRIZE is excited to welcome Dimensional Energy into the finals of the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. This Ithaca, New York team was founded by serial entrepreneur Jason Salfi, and Dr. David Erickson and Dr. Tobias Hanrath, both successful technology entrepreneurs and senior faculty members at Cornell University. Dimensional Energy has developed a way to combine sunlight and CO2 to make syngas and methanol in a process sometimes described as “artificial photosynthesis.” Their photochemical platform converts CO2 into environmentally responsible polymers and chemical intermediaries for industry.
The Carbon XPRIZE is in the final round of competition, in which finalist teams are challenged to scale-up up their carbon conversion technologies under real world conditions at industrial test centers to compete for one of two grand prizes. Five teams will demonstrate their technologies at the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre in Calgary, and five will exhibit at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center in Gillette. Finalists are preparing to make the move to these test centers and are expected to begin demonstrating in the summer of 2019.
Dimensional Energy was selected to re-enter the competition after a vacancy was created when Carbicrete, a finalist from Montreal, withdrew from the finals. “This decision was not an easy one, but Dimensional’s progress in the last year and innovative concept bring new elements to the competition. We are looking forward to seeing all teams in action next year,” said XPRIZE judge Dr. Andrea Ramirez.
After earning a position as a finalist in the Carbon XPRIZE, Carbicrete closed a major funding deal with Sustainable Development Technology Canada to develop a pilot facility for their technology in Quebec, and chose to withdraw from the competition to devote their full-time attention to this opportunity. XPRIZE wishes Carbicrete and their partners all the best as they continue to develop their technology.
In addition to Dimensional Energy joining the Wyoming track of the competition, CarbonCure, a finalist team from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, will be transitioning to the Calgary track of the competition demonstrating at the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre.