YQR receives new carbon capture device to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The Regina International Airport has installed carbon capture technology in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The technology, piloted by the Regina Airport Authority and SaskEnergy, is said to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the main heating system by 20 per cent at YQR, according to a news release.

A CarbinX small-scale carbon-capture device, manufactured by Clean O2, has been installed in the mechanical room of YQR’s Air Terminal Building, which will help RAA achieve its environmental goals, the release from SaskEnergy explained.

“The terminal building accounts for about 58 per cent of our greenhouse gas usage in total when it comes to natural gas,” RAA President and CEO James Bogusz said.

“We’re hopeful that the Clean O2 company, with the CarbinX capture product, will essentially reduce that 58 per cent by between seven and 14 per cent. That’s a total savings of five to seven per cent on our total envelope of natural gas.”

The device captures a portion of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Air Terminal Building’s boiler heating system and converts it into potassium carbonate, a non-toxic pearl ash.

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The pearl ash will then be used to make carbon-capture soap and other cleaning products.

“It’s not hazardous at all,” Jaeson Cardiff, the CEO of Clean O2, said.

“People using personal care products don’t want to associate it with emissions because of the word, but it’s carbon dioxide being recycled into consumer goods.”

The device also releases heat which is captured and used to preheat water in the airport's heating equipment.

“We’re proud that our airport terminal building is the first building in the province to have this cutting-edge technology,” RAA President and CEO James Bogusz said in the release.

“We’re committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of our airport operations, and we commend SaskEnergy for helping us to make this exciting project a reality.”

SaskEnergy provided $40,000 to cover the cost and delivery of the unit and the RAA contributed about $11,000 to have the unit installed.