Using electric algae, ancient proteins and more, start-ups seek to green the sea
Summary
Israeli tech companies are among those trying to find sustainable solutions.On Wednesday, some of them presented their innovations at the first Blue Tech Summit, at the port of Haifa in the north.The summit was organized by the National Center of Blue Economy, established a year ago within the framework of a partnership between the Israeli government and the European Union to develop a strategy for sustainable management of the oceans.With funding from the Haifa Municipality, the center supports 14 early-stage start-ups in its accelerator at the port and is creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and environmental groups in Israel and overseas.More than 300 people attended the confab, including delegations from Portugal, India, South Korea, Japan and Greece.Among the companies exhibiting all of which aim to create income for customers through carbon credits were the following:Established in August 2020 by two Israeli Navy veterans, and based in Haifa, Nayam Wings is developing a wind propulsion system for shipping, one of the hardest industries to decarbonize.The company says that its asymmetrical sails, which incorporate aircraft technology, can cut fuel costs (and emissions) by 15% to 25% if retrofitted, and 35% if installed on a new ship.Suitable for any flat deck vessel weighing 5,000 tons or more, the computer-adjusted sails move to precisely catch the wind. According to co-founder and COO Avishay Parker, similar, but symmetrical, sails being developed elsewhere in the world reduce fuel costs by just 5-8%.Having performed two proof of concept tests with Energy Ministry funds, Nayam Wings whose tech was invented by aeronautical engineer, co-founder and CTO Amnon Asscher is currently seeking to match a NIS 3.2 million ($865,000) grant from the Israel Innovation Authority to build a full-scale prototype.Today, the options for cutting carbon emissions are either reducing speed or installing costly, inefficient scrubbers (filters), Parker said.ElectricAlgae was created just a couple of weeks ago to commercialize research carried out at Haifas Technion Israel Institute of Technology. He has developed a synthetic peptide that can either be used alone to clean surfaces, in cases where the microbes dont need to be killed, or added to antimicrobial compounds, where total sterilization is required. His product can help chemical companies under regulatory pressure to lower the concentration of their biocides for environmental reasons, without compromising effectiveness, Zlotkin explained.He has been working on the technology since 2009, although he only set up DisperseBio in 2021, in Tel Aviv.His invention is currently being trialed for proof of concept by DuPont Water Solutions, ICL (formerly Israel Chemicals Ltd.), the Israeli irrigation company Netafim (which experiences biofilm in its pipes), National Paints, located in the United Arab Emirates, and ACCIONA, which builds and operates desalination plants, including in the Arabian Gulf.Marine microbes are responsible for removing large amounts of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions, Zlotkin said. The latter usually uses depleted gas reservoirs, where residual organic matter can cause complications.Compressing air for energy storage on land is expensive, according to BaroMars CEO, Yonadav Buber.