Tidal Metals uses a temperature-swing vapor pump and heat-pump system to evaporate seawater or desalination brines and recover magnesium salts. The process cycles moisture-absorbing materials inside sealed boxes, recovers roughly 97% of the energy, and yields about 4 kg of magnesium salt per metric ton of seawater. The company pivoted from desalination technology and rebranded from GreenBlu in late 2023; Howard Yuh is co-founder and CEO. Tidal is building a pilot plant sized to produce 200 tons per year, funded by a recent seed round, and plans a larger 10,000-ton-per-year facility potentially as early as 2026. The approach avoids open-air evaporation ponds and the polluting dolomite routes dominant in China, and can use nearly unlimited seawater or desalination waste streams, especially when paired with renewable power. Seed investors include DCVC, Bidra Innovation Ventures, and First Spark Ventures. GreenBlu commercializes Vapor Adsorption Distillation with Energy Recycling (VADER), a thermal distillation cycle that uses a patented nanocomposite adsorbent to extract pure water vapor while recycling thermal energy. The company says VADER improves energy efficiency, overcomes the top brine limit, enables zero-liquid-discharge desalination, and can drastically reduce electrical consumption compared to current methods. GreenBlu plans a scaled demonstration prototype of a commercial product packaged in modular, shipping-container units powered by solar or waste heat. The technology is positioned to lower costs for desalination, ZLD wastewater treatment, and seawater mineral recovery, including MgCl2 and NaCl. GreenBlu was founded in 2016 and is based in Hamilton, NJ; it has received prior awards and grants as it readies the technology for commercialization. The company envisages applications including a distributed solar desalination network, retrofits of existing thermal distillers, and sustainable magnesium production.

Total raised

$10M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Sep 2024