New Jersey Natural Gas Installs Carbon Capture at Headquarters

NJNG announced that it completed the installation of two CarbinX carbon-capture systems, which are now in full operation at its headquarters in Wall, NJ. Each CarbinX system is the approximate size of two residential refrigerators and is integrated with the company’s HVAC system. This connection allows for the capture of carbon emissions from the building, cutting out the potential of flue exhaust emissions. These units improve the efficiency of the HQ’s water heater through the conversion of waste heat into heated water, lowering water heater usage, emissions, and energy costs.

“We are excited to expand CarbinX into New Jersey with New Jersey Natural Gas,” said Jaeson Cardiff, Founder and CEO of CleanO2. “Our technology provides commercial businesses a practical approach to building decarbonization in a way that does not require major alterations to how they use energy. We are hopeful this installation at NJNG will be significant proof of concept for our units; and we’re eager to see how this two-unit installation can educate us on how to further deploy our technology more broadly.”

The CarbinX carbon-capture unit was developed by CleanO2 and converts carbon output into pearl ash—a non-toxic solid material. Pearl ash can be modified for various applications such as commercial products, including soaps, detergents, and durable building materials. The product can be installed in facilities without interrupting HVAC systems.

CarbinX carbon-capture unit; Image Credits: CleanO2

“Distributed carbon capture is about more than just reducing emissions; it is also about maximizing the efficiency of the energy we use,” said Patrick Migliaccio, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at New Jersey Natural Gas. “As a flue gas economizer, these carbon-capture units can help businesses use less energy and take advantage of benefits offered under the state’s energy-efficiency programs. The installation of units like these is another way for businesses to help lower their carbon footprint. We look forward to learning from this project and identifying future opportunities.”

NJNG is collaborating with a third party to conduct monitoring, data collection, and detailed evaluation to assess the real-world benefits of CarbinX units. The data will allow NJNG to educate state policymakers and customers about the technology’s potential to increase efficiency and cut back of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Innovation is critical to achieving our climate and emissions reduction goals in a way that is affordable, reliable and achievable,” said Migliaccio. “The carbon capture units installed at our Wall headquarters are part of NJNG’s broader decarbonization strategy to reduce emissions from our operations and support New Jersey’s climate objectives in a way that is easy to adopt.”

Carbon-capture technology, as well as storage, is a rapidly growing space within power generation and other industries. According to Anirudda Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, government support is needed to push carbon capture, utilization, and storage at a significant scale, including policies to economically support these endeavors. This includes setting financial rewards, simplifying the permitting and planning process, ensuring storage sites are developed quickly, and focusing on regulation that supports the growth of CO₂ infrastructure and equipment.