Climate technology company Ebb has secured a prepurchase agreement with Google for the removal of 3,500 tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. This partnership builds on a recent deployment agreement with the Saudi Water Authority (SWA) to pilot Ebb’s technology at a facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, potentially unlocking up to 85 million tonnes of annual CO2 removal capacity. The agreements signal growing investment in emerging carbon removal technologies.
The collaboration with Google and the SWA deployment mark a significant step for Ebb, which is focused on accelerating the ocean’s natural ability to absorb and store carbon. The company’s technology aims to provide a scalable and cost-effective solution to mitigate climate change, addressing a critical need for negative emissions technologies. This comes as global efforts to reduce emissions fall short of targets outlined in the Paris Agreement.
Scaling Carbon Dioxide Removal with Ocean-Based Technology
Ebb’s approach centers on enhancing the natural process of converting CO2 into bicarbonate in seawater. The ocean already stores approximately 30 percent of all carbon dioxide emitted since the industrial revolution, according to research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, this process is naturally slow. Ebb aims to accelerate it.
The company’s technology is designed for integration with existing desalination facilities, which process vast quantities of seawater daily. Currently, global desalination infrastructure could potentially support nearly a billion tonnes of carbon removal annually. This integration reduces deployment costs and complexity by leveraging existing infrastructure.
Leveraging Desalination Infrastructure
Ebb’s modular system intercepts brine discharge – the concentrated saltwater byproduct of desalination – before it’s returned to the ocean. This brine is then processed through an electrochemical system, converting it into an alkaline solution. Returning this solution to the ocean enhances its capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Additionally, the process can potentially recover additional freshwater, save energy, and produce valuable chemical co-products for desalination plant operators.
The partnership with SWA is particularly noteworthy, given Saudi Arabia’s position as the world’s largest desalination operator, accounting for 22% of global capacity. The initial deployment in Jubail will serve as a foundation for potential expansion across the Kingdom’s national desalination network, supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals for environmental sustainability and technological innovation. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region accounts for 60% of global desalination capacity, making the Saudi deployment a potential model for wider adoption.
“We’re thrilled to work with Google to scale low-cost carbon removal with Ebb’s technology,” said Ben Tarbell, CEO of Ebb. “By integrating our technology with desalination facilities, we’re transforming what has historically been a waste stream into a climate solution.”
John Platt, Google Climate & Science Fellow, stated that the potential for affordable carbon dioxide removal is “extremely exciting.” He highlighted the innovative thinking required to address the climate crisis. Google has been actively investing in carbon capture and storage technologies as part of its broader sustainability initiatives.
Ebb’s founding team has deep roots within Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Co-founders Ben Tarbell and Matt Eisaman previously led climate and carbon removal initiatives at Alphabet before establishing Ebb in 2021. This shared history facilitated the strategic collaboration.
The success of the SWA pilot project will be crucial in demonstrating the scalability and economic viability of Ebb’s technology. Further deployments will depend on securing additional funding and establishing partnerships with other desalination operators globally. The long-term environmental impacts of large-scale alkaline solution release into the ocean will also require ongoing monitoring and assessment. The next steps involve scaling up the Jubail pilot and analyzing the data collected to refine the process and prepare for wider commercial deployment.