Carbon Collect, a pioneer in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, has officially announced the launch of its second-generation MechanicalTree™, which brings to the fore several key innovations that address the challenges of scaling DAC technology for widespread commercial use. Beyond the stated launch, the company is also reportedly in discussion with a number of potential investors to support this next stage in its evolution to become a clear leader in the global direct air capture market. In fact, a preliminary funding stage, ahead of a Series A fundraising, is already penciled in to happen at some point later this year. Anyway, coming back to the kind of benefits that Carbon Collect’s MechanicalTree will likely deliver at your disposal, they begin from the promise of enhanced efficiency. This the technology is going to deliver upon by capturing significantly more CO2 per unit of energy compared to its predecessor. The MechanicalTree will be able to achieve the same using advancements in sorbent materials and regeneration processes. Furthermore, realizing optimal efficiency here will also go on to reduce the overall carbon footprint usually attached to the capture process. Next up, the new technology preaches the concept of scalability. You see, the all-new MechanicalTree comes decked up with modularity in mind, meaning it can be deployed at various scales, from small clusters to large-scale carbon farms. On top of that, such flexibility also enables the technology to be tailored to different environments and market needs, thus paving the way for broader adoption by multiple customers across a range of industries worldwide.
Another detail we can come to expect from MechanicalTree is rooted in its bid to cut down on costs. Markedly enough, Carbon Collect has managed to clock this feat through innovations in material science, energy recovery, and process optimization. Not just that, the stated breakthrough brings the company closer to its target of reducing the cost of carbon capture to under $200 per ton by 2030.
“Carbon Collect has listened to the market, collaborated with world-class experts, and is now delivering a solution that is more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective than anything that has come before it. We are excited to bring this update on the launch of our second-generation MechanicalTree™ to investors. It represents a major milestone not just for Carbon Collect, but for the entire Direct Air Capture industry,” said Pól Ó Móráin, CEO of Carbon Collect,
Working in conjunction with Arizona State University, Carbon Collect plans on installing its inaugural Gen-II MechanicalTree™ prior to the end of 2024, with an intention to achieve company’s first commercial deployments in 2025. Apart from that, the company is also planning several early deployments of the Gen-II MechanicalTree™ across the United States, Europe, and other geographies. This includes its participation as an anchor technology in the Southwest Regional Direct Air Capture Hub (SEDAC), a key project selected for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy. All in all, these deployments will demonstrate the technology’s robust capability at scale and lay the groundwork for its expansion into new markets.
“This technology is the culmination of decades of research and development. The improvements we have made with the Gen-II MechanicalTree™ are not just incremental; they are transformative, setting a new standard for the industry,” said Mike Austell, Vice President of Engineering at Carbon Collect.
The whole development also provides a rather interesting follow-up to various recently-introduced international agreements and government policies that have shown a knack to steadfastly focus upon reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This makes MechanicalTree a timely solution, as the world gears up for large-scale carbon removal.
