Revolutionary technology to reduce truck emissions by 90%

Qaptis seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of conventional cargo trucks by capturing the CO2 emitted by the exhaust pipe and storing it in a liquid state. With a prototype installed in collaboration with a local carrier, the company is preparing for real pilot tests. The base technology originated in EPFL's Industrial Process and Energy Systems Engineering Laboratory, converting CO2 from gas to liquid with the lowest possible energy consumption.

The Qaptis system is designed to be installed on existing trucks. After CO2 is collected from the exhaust pipe, it is cooled and separated from other gases using a powder adsorbent. In the future, they plan to use an organometallic powder to further improve the process, although this product is not yet produced on an industrial scale. Once saturated, the adsorbent is heated by the heat of the combustion engine, releasing CO2, which high-speed turbochargers compress into a liquid to take up less space.

The liquid CO2 is stored behind the cabin and can be emptied when the truck returns to its loading terminal. In addition, Qaptis is working on a recovery system that will allow drivers to empty their CO2 tanks at gas stations, thus expanding the reach of this technology.

Qaptis achieved an R&D milestone when its prototype produced the first drops of liquid CO2 last spring. Although still in a nascent phase, the prototype can be connected with standard connections and operate under normal conditions. Initially tested at a US company, the system was moved to Tolochenaz for further optimization. It is expected that in the coming months the system will be sufficiently miniaturized for installation in vehicles.