Performance of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield CO₂ capture unit confirms high expectations

TSX-V: CST

QUEBEC CITY, July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - CO₂ Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: CST), the leader in the field of enzyme-enabled carbon capture technology, today provides an update on its demonstration project at Salaberry-de-Valleyfield ("Valleyfield"), near Montreal, Québec.

As announced on May 6, 2015, in light of the excellent results from the January 2015 testing of CO₂ Solutions' enzyme-enabled carbon capture technology at University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), the Company decided it was in a position to bring forward its 10 tonne per day (tpd) demonstration project in order to accelerate commercialization.

Following a normal period of commissioning and personnel training at the Valleyfield demonstration unit, actual CO₂ capture operations with the Company's proprietary enzyme commenced on June 19, 2015.  To date, more than 500 hours of operation have been logged. During this period, the unit has performed in line with design specifications, and confirmed high expectations in terms of efficiency, no degradation of enzyme performance, no solvent makeup and no waste products generated.

"We are very pleased with the way our demonstration unit is operating", commented Dr. Louis Fradette, CO₂ Solutions' Chief Technology Officer.  "Following a standard start-up period used to optimize system performance, we easily passed the 500-hour mark capturing CO₂ at design capacity.  We believe this performance confirms the potential of the technology for low-cost, environmentally friendly application at larger scale."

The facility has been configured for autonomous operation, meaning the unit has been adapted to produce its own heat and flue gas from a natural gas-fired boiler. CO₂ is captured from the flue gas, and subsequently stripped from the solvent using hot water generated by the boiler. The flue gas produced by the boiler is the same as produced by a once-through steam generator (OTSG) employed in oil sands and heavy oil extraction, ensuring test data will be relevant for application in that industry sector.

The Company anticipates that the initial scheduled 1000 hours of pilot testing will be completed by the end of July 2015.  CO₂ Solutions has decided that it is preferable not to incur the added expense and time required to relocate the demonstration unit to Saskatchewan for completion of the total scheduled 2,500 hours of testing, as originally planned, and Husky Energy has agreed to this change. This was made possible as conditions at the Valleyfield operation mirror those that would be found at Husky's Pikes Peak South heavy oil site in Saskatchewan.

CO₂ Solutions will issue a more detailed mid-way testing update later this summer, and a final report this fall.  In addition, a significant number of potential customers and strategic partners from Canada, the United States and Asia have either already visited or have planned their visit to the Valleyfield demonstration unit‎ in the coming weeks.

"We are very encouraged by the performance of the technology and the demonstration unit to date, and by the interest it is attracting from large industrial emitters seeking a cost-effective and environmentally friendly CO₂ capture solution," stated Evan Price, President and CEO of CO₂ Solutions.

About CO₂ Solutions Inc.
CO₂ Solutions is an innovator in the field of enzyme-enabled carbon capture and has been actively working to develop and commercialize the technology for stationary sources of carbon pollution. CO₂ Solutions' technology lowers the cost barrier to Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Utilization (CCSU), positioning it as a viable CO₂ mitigation tool, as well as enabling industry to derive profitable new products from these emissions. CO₂ Solutions has built an extensive patent portfolio covering the use of carbonic anhydrase, or analogues thereof, for the efficient post-combustion capture of carbon dioxide with low‐energy aqueous solvents. Further information can be found at www.co2solutions.com.

CO₂ Solutions Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release may be forward-looking. These statements relate to future events or CO₂ Solutions' future economic performance and reflect the current assumptions and expectations of management. Certain unknown factors may affect the events, economic performance and results of operation described herein. CO₂ Solutions undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE CO2 Solutions Inc.