Key facts
- Progressive Energy, Airhive, and Mission Zero Technologies have formed UnionDAC.
- The venture will construct a direct air capture facility in northeast England.
- The plant is scheduled to commence CO2 sequestration in 2030.
- Annual CO2 capture capacity is targeted at 60,000 tons by 2032.
- This project aims to be the largest direct air capture facility in Europe.
Three UK clean-technology companies have joined forces to establish what is anticipated to be Europe's largest direct air capture (DAC) facility. Progressive Energy, a developer of low-carbon projects, has partnered with carbon-capture specialists Airhive and Mission Zero Technologies to form a new entity named UnionDAC.
The venture plans to construct the facility in northeast England, with the goal of commencing CO2 sequestration by 2030. By 2032, UnionDAC aims to capture 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere annually. If realized, this capacity would surpass the 36,000 tons per year of Climeworks AG's Mammoth project in Iceland, currently considered Europe's largest.
Executives from the involved firms believe the UK is well-positioned to lead in carbon-removing technologies, citing the developing CO2 transport infrastructure in areas like Teesside and the favorable geological conditions in the East Irish Sea and North Sea for carbon storage. However, experts like Climeworks co-CEO Christoph Gebald emphasize the need for more buyers and supportive regulations to facilitate the scaling of such technologies, suggesting a shift from project-by-project financing to bankable industrial infrastructure.
Globally, Occidental Petroleum's subsidiary 1PointFive is constructing the STRATOS DAC facility in Texas, designed to capture up to 500,000 tons of CO2 annually, which is expected to be the world's largest.