The world is rapidly changing before our eyes. Pollution from human processes has led to intolerable greenhouse gases- causing an increase in global average temperatures and an imminent threat to human health. Global fossil fuel reserves are hastily dissipating, and our most vital natural resource, water, continues to be abused and polluted by inefficient and unnecessary human behavior.
Al Gore, former Vice President of the U.S. and featured spokesperson of "The Inconvenient Truth," acknowledges: "Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced."
As a result, Governments worldwide are now offering Billions in funds (USD) for Research and Development programs aimed at environmentally sustainable technologies in an effort to save the planet. The United States stimulus package, signed by Barack Obama on February 17th, for example, promised to spend $86 Billion USD on energy plans- including $20 Billion in renewable energy projects. With 40% of global greenhouse emissions currently coming from electricity generation, alternative energy and clean energy strategies are finally being brought to the forefront.
It is therefore no surprise that environmental technologies or "Green Techs" are the most popular and sought-after investments as seen by Venture Capitalists today. Now that the economy is starting to recover from the recent downturn, the sustainability industry is expanding at an alarming rate- a trend that will only strengthen in the years to come.
Many development-stage Green Tech companies will become highly profitable as this revolution progresses, benefiting from partnerships, licensing agreements and acquisitions by larger Corporations. However, of all the Green Tech companies out there, how does the average person with limited resources know which companies will become successful in the long term?
Mantra Venture Group
Mantra is a diversified Green Tech company that recognizes future global needs before they hit the radar. In recognizing these needs, Mantra aggressively targets technologies that represent the greatest opportunity for successful implementation into each of the emerging sustainability markets. In using this approach, Mantra stands to become adequately diversified within the Green Tech Industry.
In using the above business model, Mantra has positioned itself to become a leader in the Green Tech movement through investment in three core areas:
Carbon Recycling: Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide technology (ERC)
Alternative Energy: Mixed Reactant Fuel Cell technology (MRFC)
Treatment of mine wastewater: Biometals Recovery System technology (BRS)
Carbon Recycling: Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC)
Carbon sequestration, the process of capturing carbon dioxide and storing it in deep geological formations, in the ocean or as mineral carbonates, is being hailed as the answer to one of the globe's most pressing questions: what to do with the 27 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted annually from the burning of fossil fuels? While touted as the most promising interim solution to deal with the greenhouse gas, carbon capture and storage (CCS) still remains unproven, costly and will not be commercially available for many years.
Moreover, Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. figures that adding CCS to the next generation of European power plants could lift their price by as much as US $1.3 billion per project, with the cost of a demonstration project in the range of US $80-$120 per tonne of CO2 sequestered.
As fear of climate change grips the globe, businesses and governments are desperate to find an answer to our CO2 problem. Relying solely on CCS is an incredibly risky and in many places unworkably expensive solution. More imaginative thinking shows us that the 27 billion metric tonnes of CO2 per year may actually be recycled - representing a viable business opportunity for Mantra.
In November 2007, Mantra acquired a revolutionary carbon recycling technology entitled the Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC).
ERC combines captured CO2 with water to produce high value materials, such as formic acid, formate salts, oxalic acid and methanol. The current demand for formic acid (one of ERC's main end products) is 600,000 tp/year- with current average price of $1,400 USD per tonne.
ERC operates at near ambient conditions and is driven by electric energy that can be taken from an electric power grid supplied by hydro, wind, solar or nuclear energy.
The goal of ERC is to serve as a safe and more economical alternative to CCS. ERC will be integrated into industrial plants whereby it will convert captured CO2 into products that will either be used on-site (formic acid in steel processing, for example) or sold in the open market.
In addition to the sale of end products, ERC is also expected to generate significant value through the sale of carbon credits. With the International Energy Agency stating that carbon taxes must rise to $180/tonne by 2030 to meet greenhouse gas targets, one can easily appreciate the value of the potential carbon credits generated through ERC.
Mantra has successfully completed an ERC prototype capable of converting 1Kg of CO2 per day, and the company is receiving international recognition from government organizations and corporations as they discover the potential that lies within the technology.
Mantra's ERC technology is worldwide patent pending under patent number: W02007/041872 "Continuous co-current electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide."
Alternative Energy: Mixed Reactant Fuel Cell (MRFC)
While a variety of different fuel cells have been developed in recent years, they all continue to face one major barrier to widespread adoption: cost. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reported that fuel cell system costs in volume production are $73 per kilowatt. While this represents a great improvement from the average cost of $1,000 per kilowatt seen in 2002, research suggests these costs would have to be further reduced by over 50% in order to become competitive with alternate technologies such as batteries and gasoline internal combustion engines.
Secondary concerns for current fuel cell technologies include: durability, service life and special requirements for some types of fuel cells. Stationary fuel cell applications, for example, typically require more than 40,000 hours of reliable operation through a wide range of temperatures. This is often considered a challenge given the structural components of current fuel cell technologies.
In recognizing the aforementioned challenges, Mantra just recently acquired the exclusive license to the Mixed Reactant Fuel Cell (MRFC) technology. MRFC is a fuel cell with an unconventional architecture that eliminates the need for some operating features and components. Unlike typical fuel cells that require a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) to separate the fuel from the oxidant within the cell, MRFC mixes the fuel with the oxidant and eliminates the need for the expensive yet fragile membrane. As a result, Mantra anticipates a simplified and much more cost effective manufacturing process upon commercialization.
The global fuel cell industry is expected to generate more than $18.6 Billion USD in 2013, and if significant advancements are made in the automotive (mobile) sector, this number could jump as high as $35 Billion.
Treatment of Mine Wastewater:
Biometals Recovery System technology (BRS)
The US Environmental Protection Agency ranks mining as the United States' top toxic polluter, reporting more toxic releases annually than any other sector. Acid generation occurs naturally in the mining process as waste rock and metal tailings are exposed to water and oxygen. The result is contaminated, toxic water that has serious ramifications on the local environment if left untreated. Consequently, The EPA estimates that over 40% of US western waterways are contaminated by mining activities.
Mantra recently signed an exclusive option agreement to acquire the license of the Biometals Recovery System (BRS). BRS uses a biological process to produce a biogenic sulphide reagent (H2S) to selectively recover metals dissolved in wastewater and leach solutions. The process is also used to produce high quality water that is suitable for release into the environment.
BRS Shows great promise in its ability to:
Minimize treatment costs
Selectively recover metals in saleable grade concentrates to offset treatment costs
Reduce liabilities by reducing the volume of sludge for disposal and minimize heavy metal content
Produce quality discharge water suitable for release into the environment
The primary market for the BRS is Acid Mine Drainage Treatment (AMD). The global market for AMD treatment is estimated conservatively at $230 Billion USD.
A second market for BRS is heap leaching metal recovery - an extraction process responsible for 20% of worldwide copper production. At $3,300/ton, the annual global copper production of 18 million tons represents an approximate heap leaching market of $12 Billion USD.
While there are currently several companies addressing these markets, technical and economical limitations have left both markets largely underserved. Fortunately, BRS relies on a much more efficient biological reaction, and when combined with its product upgrading and energy recovery capabilities, the technology provides a major economic advantage over current systems. Green Tech Investing
Rachel Wexier, Partner at private equity law firm Goodwin Proctor, comments "Green technology companies have a moral attraction and distinct political appeal for liberals, moderates, and conservatives alike."
2006 saw a 78% increase in green-tech investing, and in 2007, U.S. Venture Capital firms pumped $2.6 billion into green technology in the first three quarters. Green is in, and the coming years could see the development and production of technologies that both alleviate environmental impacts and change how we conduct our lives.
Carol Miller and Dean Kartsonas, managers of the Federated Capital Appreciation fund, started buying alternative-energy stocks early this year and now devote roughly 4.5% of their portfolio to such holdings.
In the United Kingdom, achieving a 60% cut in carbon emissions by the year 2050 has moved to the top of the political agenda. In fact, some sources suggest that this target should be increased to 80%.
The majority of Green Tech companies are lunging toward the clean energy sector. "It's simple supply and demand," says Wal van Lierop, President and CEO of Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital. In addition, both Venture Capital firms and Governments are spearheading research to make eco-friendly technologies economically competitive.
Total Green Tech investments soared from $714 Million USD in 2001 to over $5.15 Billion USD in 2007. "We foresee continued growth over 2008 as the clean-tech market cycle moves from early adoption to mainstream driver of wealth and job creation," says Nicholas Parker, Chairman of Cleantech Group.
New Alternatives (NALFX), established in 1982, is one of the pioneers of green investing. Through investments in alternative energy, biofuels, and fuel-cell technology, their returns exceeded 33 percent in 2007.
When speaking on current environmental struggles, President Barack Obama noted "We're not going to be able to deal with any of these issues in isolation. The more that we can develop technologies that tap alternative sources of energy but also contain the environmental damage of fossil fuels, the better off we're going to be."
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed on this website are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties. See Mantra Venture Group's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission which identify specific factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
Treatment of Mine Wastewater: