Reducing methane emissions is a uniquely powerful lever for slowing climate change in the coming decades, yet only one-quarter of emissions are at a concentration high enough for existing treatments. Zephyr is developing a more efficient process to unlock the other three-quarters, starting with dairy barns.
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Will Sawyer
Will Sawyer founded Zephyr to limit near-term warming by eliminating low-concentration methane emissions. Previously, he worked on thermal catalysis and impact assessment of methane mitigation as a postdoctoral associate with Desiree Plata at MIT, where he also earned his Ph.D. with John Hart in mechanical engineering (with a minor in philosophy), focusing on aerosol synthesis of carbon nanotubes. Sawyer holds bachelor’s degrees in environmental science from Wesleyan University and engineering from Dartmouth College.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Methane is 28X more potent than CO2, per mass, and anthropogenic emissions are responsible for 0.5°C of warming. Methane’s short atmospheric lifetime front-loads its warming effect; thus reducing methane emissions is a uniquely powerful lever for reducing climate change in the near term. Existing treatment technologies only work on methane concentrations above 0.1 percent. Yet three-quarters of emissions, including those from agriculture, are below this threshold, creating an urgent need for innovative solutions to low-concentration methane treatment.
Technology Vision
Zephyr aims to treat low-concentration methane emissions at the source. By thermally oxidizing methane to carbon dioxide, water, and heat, net emissions are reduced by 90 percent. A novel reactor design captures that heat and uses it to power the process, dramatically lowering the operating cost and site requirements. By improving the cost and performance of traditional heat recovery, this system extends the well-proven thermal oxidation pathway to concentrations below 100 parts per million, enabling treatment across a range of low-concentration methane sources.
Potential for Impact
Zephyr’s potential to reduce global warming in the short term can reduce climate impacts and the chance of tipping points, thus easing the transition to a sustainable future. While some methane emissions can be prevented, the majority are intertwined with key industries. Initially focused on low-concentration emissions from dairy farming, equivalent to that of global aviation and shipping combined, Zephyr’s non-invasive solution can be rapidly deployed without disrupting core operations. Addressing this industry can potentially reverse the methane buildup in the atmosphere and reduce warming by 0.15-0.2°C in the coming decades.