Shrinking the CCS Energy Penalty: A Molten Borate Breakthrough Promises Viability for Hard-to-Abate Canadian Oil & Gas

For decades, carbon capture has been stuck in a frustrating paradox. The technology works, but the energy required to run it often defeats the purpose. Traditional amine-based systems gobble up steam that industrial facilities desperately need, making CCS projects hard to justify economically.

That could be about to change. Mantel Capture, a Massachusetts-based startup founded by MIT researchers, just kicked off a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale carbon capture installation in partnership with a Canadian oil and gas producer in Alberta. The project is backed by Alberta Innovates and targets one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize: steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil sands operations.

Why This Project Matters

The numbers tell the story. Mantel's molten borate system claims to cut energy penalties by up to 97% compared to state-of-the-art capture methods. Instead of consuming steam, it actually produces it, recovering waste heat and generating high-pressure steam as a valuable co-product.

Once operational, the Alberta facility is expected to capture approximately 60,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year while generating around 150,000 tonnes of high-pressure steam. That steam goes right back into SAGD operations, where it's essential for extracting heavy oil.

How the Technology Works

Most carbon capture systems use liquid amines that absorb CO₂ at low temperatures. Releasing that CO₂ requires massive amounts of heat, typically from steam that could otherwise power industrial processes.

Mantel flips that equation. Their system uses molten borate salts operating at 600°C to 800°C. At these temperatures, heat released during CO₂ absorption can be efficiently recovered. The result? A self-sustaining thermal loop producing 99.9% pure CO₂ ready for sequestration without additional treatment.

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From Lab Bench to Commercial Scale

This Alberta project represents a significant scale-up from Mantel's first demonstration at Kruger Inc.'s Wayagamack pulp and paper mill in Quebec, which captures 2,000 tonnes annually. The Canadian oil sands project would capture 30 times that volume.

The technology emerged in 2019 when Cameron Halliday, then a PhD student at MIT, tested lithium-sodium ortho-borate. The salts absorbed more than 95% of CO₂ and showed almost no degradation over 1,000 cycles, unlike solid sorbents that crack under extreme heat.

The Economics of Low-Energy Capture

Energy efficiency isn't just an engineering achievement. It's the key to making carbon capture pencil out economically without relying heavily on tax credits.

Mantel claims its system can capture carbon for about US$30-50 per tonne at commercial scale, roughly half the industry average. The company, backed by a $30 million Series A from Shell Ventures and Eni Next, sees Canada as an initial $6 billion market for its technology.

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Canada's Policy Advantage

This project arrives at a pivotal moment for Canadian carbon capture. Canada's approach combines a CCS investment tax credit with rising carbon prices, creating strong incentives for projects that deliver genuine cost reductions.

Halliday noted that while his unnamed oil and gas partner isn't part of the Pathways Alliance consortium, Mantel is already working with other oil sands producers. The ultimate goal is to provide CCS technology to sites that could connect to larger carbon storage infrastructure across the region.

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A Test Case for Next-Gen CCS

While this project focuses on SAGD operations, Mantel's technology applies wherever high-temperature emissions exist. The company reports working with partners across cement, steel, chemicals, power generation, and data center infrastructure.

If Mantel delivers on its efficiency claims at commercial scale, it could reshape how we think about industrial decarbonization economics. The implications extend far beyond Alberta, potentially unlocking carbon capture across the world's most challenging industrial sectors.