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Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme: Phase 1 projects

Updated 26 November 2024

SeaCURE marine mediated anthropogenic carbon removal (Sea Carbon Unlocking and Removal)

Led by the University of Exeter together with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Brunel University London and TP Group.

Direct removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from air is hampered by its very low concentration. The concentration of CO2 in seawater is however approximately 150 times higher. SeaCURE technology will process seawater to temporarily make it more acidic, which helps to get the carbon dioxide to ‘bubble out’. The technology will then trap that CO2 and concentrate it to form a near-pure stream of gas to be compressed and stored. The carbon dioxide-depleted water will then be released back to the ocean, where it will take up carbon dioxide from the air. Combining, optimising, and enhancing existing technology, this project will design a pilot plant and a pathway to deliver carbon dioxide removal at the megatonne scale, offering a key solution to perhaps the planets most pressing problem.

Read the SeaCURE Phase 1 report

Biohydrogen Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstration

Led by Advanced Biofuel Solutions Ltd (ABSL) alongside Progressive Energy Ltd and University College London.

The project aims to optimise the production of biohydrogen with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The Climate Change Committee have identified CCS biohydrogen as the biomass pathway that offers the best greenhouse gas performance. The project partners will develop a detailed design and project delivery plan for a demonstration plant that will capture 1,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum, explore the benefits of sorption enhanced water gas shift biohydrogen production and carry out a detailed lifecycle assessment of carbon capture technologies. It will provide a world leading example of the UK’s technical expertise and ability to deliver on its net zero ambitions.

Read the Advanced Biofuel Solutions Phase 1 report.

Bio-waste to Biochar (B to B) via Hydrothermal Carbonisation and Post-Carbonisation

Led by the University of Nottingham alongside their industrial partners CPL Industries and Severn Trent Green Power.

The expansion of anaerobic digestion, including food waste, indicates there is potential to produce ca. 0.5 Mt p.a. of biochar from biowastes by 2030. Since hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) operates at 200oC, subsequent carbonisation of the resultant biocoal is required to produce stable biochar containing low proportions of potentially degradable carbon.

Initial analysis has indicated that carbon sequestration costs are below (£100 t/CO2 avoided. The aim is to establish the feasibility of this approach and optimise process design and operation. A digestate residue supplied by Severn Trent Green Power will be treated by HTC in the pilot plant at CPL. Up to 10 tonnes of the resultant HTC biocoal will then be treated in a pilot-plant to establish the quality of the biochar for sequestration that can be obtained by post-carbonisation, enabling design options to be considered for producing over 600 tonnes of biochar p.a. (2000 tonnes CO2 equivalent) in the next development phase to achieve deployment by 2030.

Read the University of Nottingham Phase 1 report

Carbon negative hydrogen production countering the effects of ocean acidification

Led by Planetary Hydrogen Inc.

This project will demonstrate an electrochemical technology combining renewable hydrogen (H2) production with carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through ocean alkalinity enhancement, with the co-benefit of countering the effects of ocean acidification. The project will develop analytical and numerical tools to determine the optimum level of alkalinity addition to seawater to safely and effectively sequester carbon, as well as developing a detailed engineering design for a 1 tCO2/d pilot plant. Project benefits include furthering knowledge of ocean-based CDR in the UK, as well as direct economic benefits to UK firms developing the tools used to determine the appropriate sizing of carbon negative H2 production plants.

Read the Planetary Hydrogen Phase 1 report

Mersey Biochar: Carbon Negative Community Energy

Led by Severn Wye Energy Agency alongside Pure Leapfrog and industrial partner PyroCore.

Pyrolysis technology will be developed to incorporate enhanced carbon capture capacity, and to produce a range of marketable outputs, including biochar for carbon sequestration, carbon products for construction, and heat for a local district heating network. The project enables improved management of local woodland and forestry by putting local waste wood to use; ultimately growing the local supply chain and improving the natural environment. We believe in developing biochar projects that serve and support the communities in which they are based and will develop an ownership model for future projects to reflect this.

Read the Mersey Biochar Phase 1 report

CCH2: Carbon Capture and Hydrogen production from Biomass

Led by KEW Technology.

The UK has a huge potential for additional growing of biomass on marginal/contaminated land without affecting food-growth or biodiversity, capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. KEW’s gasification technology which is demonstrated at its plant in the Midlands, uses a clean, compact process for conversion of this biomass into a hydrogen-rich gas. The CCH2 Project will develop designs for additional modules which will upgrade this gas to produce separate high-purity Hydrogen and CO2 streams. The hydrogen can be sold for industrial / transport applications and the CO2 sent for sequestration (20,000 tonnes per year per module). The strong revenues from the hydrogen enable overall very low costs per tonne of CO2 removed and the financing of sustainable biomass supply chains in a circular economy providing multiple environmental and societal benefits including new rural and industrial jobs.

Read the Kew Technology Phase 1 report

Negative Emissions Gasification

Led by Drax Corporation Ltd.

This project aims to be carbon negative by 2030, reducing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 whilst generating clean, affordable renewable energy.

In this programme, Drax will further develop biomass gasification as a future carbon negative technology. Gasification breaks down biomass into a gaseous mixture which can be processed and purified to produce a range of useful energy vectors, such as electricity, biofuels and hydrogen. Capturing and storing the residual biogenic CO2 emissions makes these energy vectors carbon negative.

Drax will lead an innovation programme to develop effective gasification strategies. If proven successful, this technology could be scaled up to provide industrial level negative emission energy generation in line with the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget advice to government.

Read the Drax Phase 1 report

Direct Air Capture powered by Nuclear Power Plant

Led by Sizewell C alongside University of Nottingham, Strata Technology, Atkins and Doosan Babcock.

Sizewell C, together with its partners, is developing a heat-powered direct air capture (DAC) technology that can in the future be scaled up and integrated with the Sizewell C power plant. The unique heat-powered DAC design will offer increased efficiency and less reliance on electricity compared to existing DAC technology. A future scaled-up implementation could contribute substantially towards the decarbonisation of difficult to decarbonise sectors and help the UK achieve its Net-Zero ambitions. For example, a larger DAC plant integrated with Sizewell C could utilise up to 400 megawatt thermal (MWth) of heat from the power plant to capture 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year which is enough to almost offset the UK’s entire emissions from railway transport.

Read the Sizewell C Phase 1 report

The Biochar Network – A Road to Demonstration and Beyond

Led by Sofies UK, alongside industry partners (Arla Foods, BSW, Biomacon, R&S Biomass) and research partners (University of Edinburgh, Newcastle University and UKCEH).

The application of biochar has a seemingly unlimited list of benefits for soil, climate and livestock, yet it has failed to scale commercially due to the business model, not the technology. Our aim is to transform the greenhouse gas removal (GGR) market by creating the first integrated biochar network consisting of one of the largest forestry and sawmilling businesses in the UK and a co-operative of over 2000 dairy farms. This unique system can deliver low-cost biochar, removing at least 1 tonne of CO2 removed per hectare of pasture, per year, delivering an estimated 57,150 tonnes of CO2 removal by 2030.

Read the Sofies Phase 1 report

Integration of Biochar and Enhanced Mineral Weathering Carbon Capture Technologies into Linear Infrastructure Projects

This project will be led by global engineering and consultancy firm, Arup in collaboration with construction and engineering firm, Costain and the Universities of Edinburgh and Newcastle.

The team will explore the feasibility of using two carbon capture technologies for application on large-scale infrastructure projects. These technologies are biochar for storage of carbon within soil, and enhanced rock weathering. Both of these technologies have already been shown to be effective for direct capture of CO2 in agriculture. The project will assess the feasibility, risks and opportunities of implementing these technologies in the context of infrastructure scheme delivery in the UK. The team will engage with industry and stakeholders through consultation. Pilot schemes will be designed for a live infrastructure project, and suitable sites will be identified.

The ultimate ambition is to demonstrate that these technologies can be upscaled for use within the UK Infrastructure sector.

Read the Arup Phase 1 report

DRIVE (Direct Removal of CO2 through Innovative Valorisation of Emissions)

Led by Mission Zero Technologies alongside consortium members Optimus (Aberdeen) and O.C.O Technology.

Direct air capture (DAC) technologies are critical for net zero but are too expensive and have large energy footprints, holding them back from reaching the scales required. Mission Zero has developed a new DAC technology that, at scale, is projected to have 75% lower costs and energy footprints than today’s commercial solutions and is suitable for both carbon utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) use cases. With engineering support from Optimus, the project will design Mission Zero’s 365 tons a year pilot plant in Phase 1. This will integrate with O.C.O Technology’s CCUS process which stores CO2 permanently while producing building aggregates from waste.

Read the Mission Zero Technologies Phase 1 report

GREEN-SHED: An integrated low carbon circular farming system to support sustainability of beef production and net-zero emissions

Led by SRUC alongside partners University of Strathclyde, Agri-EPI Centre and No Pollution Industrial Systems Ltd.

This project will reduce the environmental impact of beef production by integrating a number of innovative technologies to produce a truly disruptive, integrated, low-carbon, circular farming operation. The project aims to capture methane from housed cattle by using an integrated cattle and vertical farming system coupled with renewable energy generation from waste materials, to yield low-carbon produce (meat, vegetables and fruits) and optimise resource use efficiency.

The value proposition is clear: farmers will improve their profitability, expand their saleable food products, and more efficiently utilise natural resources through a more sustainable low-carbon farming operation that optimises production and significantly reduces the carbon-footprint - beyond the aspirations of all current methods.

Read the GREEN-SHED Phase 1 report

BIOCCUS

Led by Ricardo UK Ltd.

To meet net zero goals by 2050, negative carbon dioxide technologies will be essential. Greenhouse gas removal technologies are essential to achieve these targets. Ricardo and Bluebox Energy have been selected by the UK government to take part in the Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation programme. They will design innovative carbon capture technology which will comprise: biochar production, combined heat and power generation, and carbon dioxide capture, utilisation and storage. It will be demonstrated in 2022, with commercial deployment planned to start in 2024.

This technology uses undried waste wood from sustainably sourced domestic timber, producing biochar, heat, electricity and commercial grade carbon dioxide. The key benefit of the system is that it will provide value from all four outputs, giving a low cost for carbon dioxide sequestration. Due to its modular nature, it can be easily and quickly deployed within the community, at farms or near greenhouses addressing the need for decentralised heat and electricity requirements.

Read the Ricardo Phase 1 report

Project Dreamcatcher - Low Carbon Direct Air Capture

This project is led by Storegga, through its wholly owned subsidiary Pale Blue Dot Energy, with technology partner Carbon Engineering (CE), engineering partner Petrofac Facilities Management, and support from the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh.

DAC technology has the potential to accelerate UK net zero efforts by capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere so it can be stored permanently underground.

This project focuses on the optimisation and UK deployment of CE’s proven DAC technology. It will research and develop an alternative to using natural gas to power the calciner, a key step in the process. This will enable the system to run on clean energy only, eliminating the current requirement to co-capture the natural gas CO2. We anticipate a Phase 2 trial of the low carbon calciner in 2022 or 2023, leading to the deployment of a large-scale DAC plant in the UK by 2026.

Read the Project Dreamcatcher Phase 1 report

SMART-DAC Sustainable Membrane Absorption & Regeneration Technology for Direct Air Capture

Led by CO2CirculAir alongside partners OGTC, Heriot-Watt University Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, Process Design Center & Optimus.

The project will investigate the development of a cost-effective process for capture of CO₂ from air, based on membrane technology. The initial phase of the project is the detailed design for both capture and regeneration technology, as well as the design for a pilot plant with a capacity to capture 100 tonne CO2 a year.

The module design aims to achieve high absorption capacity in combination with free flow of air through the module. The proposed process is to deliver CO2 capture significantly cheaper than the state-of-the-art. The technology not only removes CO2 from the atmosphere, which - when permanently stored - results in negative emissions, but it also creates an innovative short cycle for CO2 when using the captured CO2 as a carbon source for chemical and synthetic fuel by-products.

Read the SMART-DAC Phase 1 report

Enhanced weathering of basalt rock as a method of atmospheric CO2 removal

Led by The Future Forest Company alongside their academic partners at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Sheffield.

Enhanced weathering is a method of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through acceleration of naturally occurring rock mineralisation processes. Rain water contains carbon dioxide in the form of bicarbonate anions, which can react with alkaline minerals to form carbonates. Our company is attempting to accelerate these naturally occurring reactions, by increasing the surface area of basalt. We achieve this through various forms of comminution that break apart the rock structure until we achieve a particle diameter of less than 100 microns. This decreases the time required to dissolve the rock from over 100,000 years to less than 1 year. Dissolution of basalt releases magnesium and calcium cations that subsequently react with bicarbonate ions in rainwater to form carbonate minerals, which have a stability in the range of several millions years.

Read the Future Forest Company Phase 1 report

Direct air CO2 capture and mineralisation

Led by Cambridge Carbon Capture Ltd (CCC).

This project aims to deliver a fully costed plan for a demonstrator capable of capturing CO2 from air and converting it directly into a mineral by-product with uses as construction materials using CCC’s CO2LOC carbon capture and mineralisation technology.

Currently CO2LOC technology can economically capture industrial emissions with CO2 concentrations ranging from 0.75% to 15%. This project will enable CCC to investigate the feasibility of capturing CO2 at concentrations of CO2 found in air (0.04%). It will then develop a pilot design and a costed plan to build it and produce a model showing how it would scale to a full-sized plant capturing 50 kilotonnes of CO2 per year.

Read the Cambridge Carbon Capture Phase 1 report

Passive Lime Carbonation Project

Led by Origenpower Ltd this project will undertake a design study to explore the use of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) to remove carbon dioxide from the air.

Origen has already developed a technology to produce lime in a way that results in no emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This ‘zero-carbon lime’ can eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions from the lime industry, which currently accounts for about 1% of global emissions. In this project, the team will explore how that zero-carbon lime can be used to remove carbon dioxide from the air in ambient conditions.

Read the Origenpower Phase 1 report

REVERSE COAL: Development of a long-term solution to store and abate carbon whilst generating food

Led by Lapwing Energy Limited assisted with research by University of Lincoln and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Reverse Coal is a BECCS GGR modality that provides long term carbon sequestration through biofuel crop production whilst mitigating negative impacts of land loss on long term food security and abating carbon dioxide emission for UK peatland. Reverse Coal produces short willow coppice on rewet degraded peat soils, uses pyrolysis to produce biochar for long term storage (c. 670kg CO2e per year for each ha of biofuel crop grown) and the associated energy to power a highly productive vertical farm that produces food. Reverse Coal is unique, it stores carbon, abates carbon and generates food. Biochar generated in the process is stored in shallow layered deposits (aka Reverse Coal) that are rewetted to prevent oxidisation and permanently lock in and store carbon dioxide

Read the REVERSE COAL Phase 1 report

Circular Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) solution utilising biochar produced from low grade biomass

Led by Capchar Ltd alongside partners Biochar Project Services Ltd and UK Hardwoods Ltd.

This project aims to demonstrate that low grade biomass can be converted into biochar (as a stable form of carbon) and sequestered in UK soils, cost effectively to provide immediate near permanent greenhouse gas removal. This project will provide a clear route to offset proposed targets of at least 50 kilotonnes of CO2 annually by 2030.

The development of the technology should result in the ability to scale efficient batch production to above 1 tonne of biochar per day. This in turn will create a cheaper localised carbon capture and storage (CCS) solution, supporting local carbon dioxide emissions reduction and can be quickly replicated throughout the UK.

Biochar sequestration has further environmental benefits including water retention and soil improvement alongside the potential to sequester other harmful greenhouse gases.

Read the Capchar Phase 1 report

Environmental CO2 Removal

Led by Rolls-Royce and The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), based in Australia.

Rolls-Royce in partnership with CSIRO, based in Australia, are developing a world-leading, efficient and cost-effective system capable of removing carbon dioxide from the air. CSIRO, who have many years of experience in CO2 capture, and whose world-leading amine technology has already been commercialised for flue gas capture, are now looking to take on the challenge of direct air capture. With over 100 years of experience in technology commercialisation, Rolls-Royce is committed to using its full engineering, aerothermal, systems, manufacturing, supply chain and certification expertise to scale up and production use these DAC systems.

The project will deliver a pilot system in the U.K., capable of removing over 100 tonnes of CO2 per year from the atmosphere.

Read the Rolls-Royce Phase 1 report

InBECCS

Led by Peel NRE and Bioenergy Infrastructure Group.

The Phase 1 project will develop and design a 20 tons per day CO2 capture demonstration plant at the heart of the North West industrial cluster, underpinned by C-Capture technology and a 28.5MWe biomass gasification unit. Future phasing will deliver the first operational BECCS plant in the North West of England, the first instance of integrated BECCS-gasification in the UK, the next innovative stride in C-Capture’s technology and ultimately accelerate the adoption of BECCS-based carbon negative power. The project is being delivered via a collaboration between Peel NRE and Bioenergy Infrastructure Group at their biomass facility located at Protos, Peel L&P’s energy and resource hub in Cheshire.

Read the Peel NRE Phase 1 report

A low-energy approach to remove multiple greenhouse gases

Led by the University of Edinburgh alongside partners Pilkington Technology Management Limited, Nippon Sheet Glass Company, University of Birmingham and Harper Adams University.

The University of Edinburgh will design a low-energy and versatile approach to capture CO2 and destroy non-CO2 greenhouse gases simultaneously at large scale driven only by solar energy.

This project will:

• develop the technology readiness level from promising lab data of individual components to an integrated system and verified prototype
• complete the design to demonstrate that this sustainable technology has the potential to be replicated at significant scale (that is, 50 kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum by 2030). The project will deliver jobs for UK citizens, and bolster the UK’s reputation as a pioneer in green technologies and contribute to the fight with climate change globally.

Read the University of Edinburgh Phase 1 report