Obrist Group: Modern Forest is 30 Times Better for the Climate Than Traditional Forests
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Obrist Group: Modern Forest is 30 Times Better for the Climate Than Traditional Forests
If two percent of deserts were covered with synthetic forests, atmospheric CO2 levels could be reduced to 1950 levels in 100 years.
Lindau/Germany, Lustenau/Austria – October 17 2024 – “Our Modern Forest is up to 30 times more effective at reducing CO2 levels in the air than a traditional forest,” says inventor and entrepreneur Frank Obrist. The industrial group he founded, Obrist Group, has developed a sophisticated process to extract carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere while simultaneously producing sustainable methanol and extracting elemental carbon, which can be stored or further processed.
Thorsten Rixmann, Chief Marketing Officer of the Obrist Group, explains the concept: “Like a natural forest, the Modern Forest removes CO2 from the atmosphere and generates oxygen. However, unlike the photosynthesis of trees, the synthetic forest doesn’t produce sugar as food for plants, but rather liquid methanol—what we call aFuel (atmospheric fuel)—which can be used as a versatile fuel in industry, heating, and transportation.” The CO2 extraction is achieved using the Obrist Group’s patented Direct-Air-Capture (DAC) process. According to the company, with 1.38 kilograms of CO2 extracted from the air, up to one kilogram of methanol can be produced.
The key advantage: The synthetic forest works best in areas where reforestation with trees is impossible—such as barren lands and deserts. To sustainably produce methanol and carbon, an abundant supply of solar energy is required. While a real forest thrives best in temperate climates, the Modern Forest can only flourish in the Earth's sunbelt. What both types of "forests" share is their ability to remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to combat global warming and climate change, emphasizes the Obrist Group.
Gigaplant: A CO2 Vacuum That Produces Methanol and Carbon
The German-Austrian industrial group has developed the concept of so-called Gigaplants, which simultaneously produce methanol, generate elemental carbon, and act as "CO2 vacuums." A single Gigaplant is expected to produce nearly four million tons of methanol per year, generate almost 230,000 tons of carbon, and remove over 6.2 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The required footprint for such a plant is approximately 280 square kilometers.
For comparison, a natural forest of the same size removes less than half a million tons of CO2 annually. Frank Obrist clarifies: "The Modern Forest is not intended to replace natural forests but to make otherwise unusable barren land and desert areas serve a dual purpose: providing global energy at unbeatable low costs and improving the climate with far greater efficiency than any natural plantation."
A key component of the Modern Forest is a special Direct-Air-Capture (DAC) process developed and patented by the industrial group. Dr. Johannes Prock, Chief Technology Officer of the Obrist Group, explains the industrial process with simple comparisons: "We use caustic soda, similar to the diluted solution used in pretzel baking, as it easily binds CO2. This removes carbon dioxide from the air, forming sodium carbonate, similar to what’s found in laundry detergent. In the next step, it's converted to sodium bicarbonate, the main ingredient in baking powder. Just like baking powder, it decomposes at relatively low temperatures, which can be achieved using waste heat." According to the Obrist Group, this unique DAC method has the advantage of requiring very little water, making it effective even in deserts, where humidity often drops as low as ten percent.
Due Diligence Confirms Feasibility
The engineering and consulting firm ILF Consulting Engineers, the patent and law firm ETL-IP, and the auditing firm BDO recently confirmed the technical and economic feasibility of the Gigaplants and the Modern Forest as part of a comprehensive due diligence process. Interested investors and government agencies can request the due diligence report from the industrial group.
According to the findings, if approximately two percent of the world's desert areas—estimated at 36 million square kilometers—were covered with synthetic forests, equivalent to around 2,700 Gigaplants, the global energy demand could be fully met with aFuel, replacing fossil fuels entirely with green methanol. Additionally, operating these facilities could reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere to the levels of 1950. Back then, atmospheric CO2 stood at around 290 ppm (parts per million), compared to 420 ppm in 2023. Visionary Frank Obrist, along with many scientists, anticipates the peak CO2 level will reach around 450 ppm by 2050. From this zenith, the CO2 levels could gradually be reduced over the next 100 years through the "vacuuming" of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using Modern Forests.
Obrist Group: The Obrist Group, founded by inventor and entrepreneur Frank Obrist, focuses on innovations for global, sustainable and CO2-reducing energy concepts. The spectrum ranges from the global supply of renewable energies to atmospheric fuels (aFuels) and innovative CO2-negative (i.e. climate-positive!) drive concepts for the automotive industry. With around 380 key patents, the Obrist Group is one of the world's most important innovators in the field of sustainable energy concepts.
Further information: www.obrist.at
Press Contact: Thorsten Rixmann, Chief Marketing Officer, Phone +43 660 5642275, email: t.rixmann@obrist.at
Press Agency: euromarcom public relations, email: team@euromarcom.de
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