New technology revealed by Bluemethane for capturing methane directly from water
Bluemethane, a UK-based startup founded in 2021 by Louise Parlons Bentata and Nestor Rueda-Vallejo, is on a mission to address the significant environmental and economic impacts of methane emissions from water sources. This mission is particularly crucial in the context of climate change, where methane, the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, plays a significant role.
The Problem
Methane emissions from various water sources, including wetlands, shallow sediment zones, and sewage, contribute notably to atmospheric methane. Wetlands, covering around 6% of Earth’s land, are a major natural source of methane under saturated, low-oxygen conditions ideal for methane-producing microbes. Climate change has increased these emissions due to temperature rise and altered rainfall, causing feedback loops that amplify warming.
Ships moving through shallow, organic-rich seabeds disturb sediments, releasing trapped methane in repeated bursts. Such emissions occur globally in major port areas and represent a serious but previously underestimated climate threat. Methane can also contaminate groundwater by leaking from subsurface reservoirs, posing risks to water quality and ecosystems. Landfill methane emissions impact surrounding environments, degrading wetlands and fisheries, adding to local pollution and health burdens.
The Economic Impact
The contribution of methane to climate change entails broader economic costs connected to extreme weather, agricultural disruption, and infrastructure damage. Shipping companies may face increased operational costs and regulatory compliance burdens as they adapt to reduce seabed methane emissions. Health threats from methane-related ground-level ozone raise healthcare costs and reduce labor productivity, especially in communities near methane emission sources. Environmental degradation from methane-linked pollution can reduce property values, tourism revenue, and natural resource availability.
The Solution
Bluemethane's technology uses a physical separation process without chemicals or membranes, replicating the process of shaking a bottle of sparkling water to speed up the separation of methane. This innovative approach separates the ownership of the technology from the benefits, allowing utility companies to adopt the technology without incurring risks associated with new technology outside their business scope.
The initial focus areas for the technology are wastewater treatment plants, industrial pretreatment, and anaerobic biomethane sites. The company has filed patents for its technology and has a prototype at Cranfield University, with plans to commercialize the technology in the near future.
The Business Model
The business model involves a paid methane measuring service to estimate biomethane potential, and two ongoing value streams: the biogas value for energy and clean energy credits. Methane emissions in the air are easier to measure than methane potential in liquids, making Bluemethane's service crucial for accurate assessments.
Partnerships and Future Plans
Partners for municipal wastewater and sewage are bioresources center managers, industrial wastewater partners are operating companies managing wastewater equipment, and energy companies are partners for biomethane sites. In the UK, utility companies have committed to achieving net-zero status by 2030, making it an initial focus area for the technology.
To address the challenge of financial innovation, Bluemethane has developed a financial instrument for hydropower reservoirs in collaboration with The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. This involves a special purpose vehicle owning both the methane capture and biogas plants.
Bluemethane is part of the fifth cohort of the our socials GROW Impact Accelerator, a testament to its potential to make a significant impact in the fight against methane emissions.
In summary, Bluemethane's innovative technology offers a promising solution to the significant environmental and economic impacts of methane emissions from aquatic environments. By focusing on wastewater treatment, industrial pretreatment, and anaerobic biomethane sites, Bluemethane aims to reduce these impacts and offer cost-effective environmental and public health benefits.
- Bluemethane's mission aligns with the importance of environmental-science, as it aims to tackle the substantial environmental and economic impacts of methane emissions from water sources, a significant contributor to climate-change, the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
- The startup's technology, which uses a physical separation process without chemicals or membranes, has potential applications beyond science, extending into business and real-estate, particularly in regions with wastewater treatment plants, industrial pretreatment, and anaerobic biomethane sites.
- In education-and-self-development, smart-home-devices, and lifestyle, understanding the role of methane in climate-change can inspire individuals to adopt sustainable-living practices, reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to lifelong-learning about the environment.
- The technology's financial instrument for hydropower reservoirs, developed in collaboration with The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance, demonstrates an intersection between finance, sustainable-living, and technology, offering a novel approach for investing in clean energy solutions.
- In the home-and-garden sector, homeowners and businesses could benefit from the technology's ability to reduce methane emissions, fewer methane leaks mean cleaner and safer groundwater, improving water quality and ecosystems.
- The business model of Bluemethane, which includes a paid methane measuring service and two ongoing value streams - the biogas value for energy and clean energy credits - opens up opportunities for various gadgets and digital platforms to support this service, further integrating technology into the solution.
- By addressing the challenge of financial innovation, Bluemethane's financial instrument aligns with future trends in corporate finance, as more companies look to finance projects that support environmental and sustainable initiatives.
- The startup's inclusion in the GROW Impact Accelerator highlights the recognition of Bluemethane's potential to generate significant impacts in addressing methane emissions, combining the fields of science, business, and innovation towards a common goal.
