DOCC: A Technology for Internal Combustion Engine Decarbonization

Authors

Matthew Henderson and Alexander Economides

Purpose

Developed jointly with Occam’s Technologies where I serve as Acting CFO, this white paper introduces the company’s Direct Oxyfire Carbon Capture (DOCC) system. The paper was created to communicate DOCC’s potential to engine operators, investors, and regulators, and to invite participation in feasibility studies.

Executive Summary

Internal combustion engine (ICE) emissions present a huge challenge to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gases. Although society has paid some attention to industrial emitters, power generation, and transportation electrification, millions of stationary and mobile internal combustion engines used across all industries emit over 1.5 gigatons of CO₂ per year without practical decarbonization options.

Direct Oxyfire Carbon Capture (DOCC), a patent-pending process developed by Occam’s Technologies Inc., offers a breakthrough approach to this problem. DOCC is a low-cost, modular technology that combines oxyfire combustion, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and cryogenic liquefaction to enable over 90% total CO₂ capture without the use of chemical scrubbing.

Unlike traditional carbon capture systems that rely on chemical solvents, DOCC produces a high CO₂ concentration exhaust stream ideal for purification via CO₂ liquefaction. This allows for pipeline quality CO₂ with no post-treatment, dramatically reducing capture costs and system size. DOCC is the most economically competitive choice for small-scale capture, with levelized capture costs between CAD 56 and CAD 178 per ton.

Occam’s is working towards a 10 ton-per-day pilot in partnership with Precision Drilling and with funding from Natural Resources Canada. Designed for deployment at scale, DOCC is eligible for major incentive programs including capital investment tax credits, Canada’s Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) and the U.S. Section 45Q tax credits. Its engine (and fuel) agnostic design enables rapid deployment across regions and sectors—turning carbon emitting liabilities into assets that improve owner economics.

Target markets include diesel and natural gas engine owners in sectors where grid-electrification is unlikely in the near term. DOCC is attracting attention from engine operators, regulators, granting agencies, and investors who recognize the urgent need for decarbonization solutions for their existing internal combustion engines. Occam’s is seeking FEED studies and pilot demonstrations for companies interested in decarbonizing their ICEs, today.

Tags: Carbon Capture, DOCC, Occam’s Technologies, White Paper, Decarbonization