Skyonic Wins Grant to Help Build Carbon Capture Plant in San Antonio

Skyonic Corp. said it was awarded a $3 million grant for an industrial carbon capture plant as part of a federal economic stimulus program administered by the Department of Energy. The company will use the grant money, along with private investment, to support the first phase of its Capitol SkyMine project to be located at the Capitol Aggregates Ltd. cement plant in San Antonio. The SkyMine^™ process uses sodium hydroxide to turn CO₂ emissions into solid, stable carbonates (primarily sodium bicarbonate). The reaction also produces hydrogen and chlorine as byproducts. Skyonic claims that these can be sold at a profit, not only defraying the cost of CO₂ removal, but even generating a profit for SkyMine^™ operators. In 2006, Skyonic began a small-scale field trial at Luminant’s Big Brown Power Plant in central Texas. Skyonic will work closely with Zachry Corp. on the simulation, design, financing and procurement for the plant. The Ford, Bacon & Davis construction engineering firm will support the effort.