CloudAir Acquires Additional Patent Technology for Industrial Emission Greenhouse Gas Reduction Linked to Renewable Energy

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] CloudAir announced on the 20th that it has signed a patent technology transfer agreement with Chosun University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation for the 'Gliding Arc Plasmatron and Carbon Dioxide Reduction System Using the Same.'

Due to climate change caused by global warming mediated by greenhouse gases, the damage caused by natural disasters in various industries worldwide is significantly increasing. Recently, South Korea also experienced a shutdown at Samsung Electronics' Austin plant in Texas, USA, due to a record-breaking cold wave that interrupted power supply, resulting in approximately 300 billion KRW in damages.

As the era of climate crisis arrives, the world is hastening to devise concrete and feasible countermeasures to curb climate change through international cooperation via various international organizations. On the 22nd of this month, the 'Climate Summit' will be held virtually at the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, where leaders from 40 countries, including South Korea, will attend and are expected to demand stronger climate actions such as raising the '2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)' for greenhouse gas reduction.

In response, South Korea introduced the carbon emissions trading system in 2015 and declared '2050 Carbon Neutrality' last year. As emission rights management has become stricter, greenhouse gas reduction patent technologies have recently gained attention.

The patented technology is a type of renewable energy-linked plasma CO2 decomposition technology that introduces a new 'Gliding Arc Plasmatron' capable of permanently decomposing carbon dioxide (CO2) primarily captured from industrial exhaust gas into carbon black (C). The driving power required for equipment operation is supplied from renewable energy (carbon-neutral, CO2-neutral), realizing practical greenhouse gas reduction technology.

Through this 'Carbon Dioxide Carbonization (CO2 to C)' patented technology, carbon dioxide is converted into carbon black while simultaneously generating oxygen (O2), which is essential for human respiration. The produced carbon black can be used and sold as various industrial auxiliary materials (tires, shoes, ink raw materials, etc.).

Notably, the '2030 National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Basic Roadmap,' revised and announced in July 2018, maintains the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target of 314.8 Mt. It specifically states a plan to reduce about 10.3 Mt (1.21% compared to the 2030 national BAU) using CCUS technology as a greenhouse gas reduction measure.

A CloudAir official said, “Carbon black products produced using greenhouse gases are expected to be able to obtain the Ministry of Environment's Environmental Product Declaration certification mark,” adding, “With the acquisition of this transferred patent, CloudAir will do its best to discover and commercialize eco-friendly carbon reduction green technologies.”