Mission Zero Technologies, a UK-based climatetech, has opened its first Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant in Norfolk, creating new jobs in the region amidst concern about the loss of industrial jobs in the country.
The facility, developed in partnership with O.C.O Technology and supported by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), is the first to integrate DAC technology directly into the production of carbon-negative building materials.
The Norfolk plant employs MZT’s electrochemical DAC technology to capture approximately 250 tonnes of CO₂ annually from the atmosphere. This captured CO₂ is then used by O.C.O Technology’s Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) to produce Manufactured LimeStone (M-LS), a carbon-negative aggregate used in construction. M-LS is recognized as the world’s first carbon-negative aggregate, as it sequesters more CO₂ than is emitted during its production.
Mission Zero Technologies plans to expand its operations with additional DAC plants, including a system in Canada in collaboration with Deep Sky Labs, which will focus on the permanent sequestration of CO₂ in geological formations.
Dr. Nicholas Chadwick, co-founder and CEO of Mission Zero Technologies, emphasised the significance of this development:
“Thanks to months of hard work alongside our partners in O.C.O and the UK Government, we’re opening our second UK plant. While many Direct Air Capture solutions are still in the lab, our technologies are being used in real-world commercial settings — giving us invaluable insights and data to scale faster, and helping to prove critics wrong.”
O.C.O Technology, headquartered in Brandon, Suffolk, has been of developing carbon-negative aggregates through its ACT process. The integration of MZT’s DAC technology into O.C.O’s production line in Norfolk represents a new approach to reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry. This collaboration not only provides a sustainable source of CO₂ but also enhances the resilience of supply chains against fluctuations in CO₂ prices and availability.
Graham Cooper, UK Managing Director for O.C.O, remarked on the partnership:
“We’re pleased to work alongside Mission Zero in enabling this exciting technology. Direct air capture is an important part of UK and global efforts to reach Net Zero and beyond, and so working on this project fits with our core values of delivering carbon capture and sustainability.”
MZT’s DAC technology claims to use 3 to 5 times less energy than traditional DAC methods. This design allows for integration with renewable energy sources and supports the scalability of carbon capture efforts. The modular nature of the system enables rapid deployment and adaptability across various industrial applications. Dr. Chadwick further explained:
“With the construction sector being one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, the industry needs to rapidly rethink its carbon backbone — and creating sustainable building materials which double as carbon sinks is a great way to do just that.”
The establishment of the Norfolk DAC plant was made possible through funding from the UK Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to accelerate the development of low-carbon technologies. This support supports the government's stated commitment to fostering innovation in carbon capture and utilisation.
Photo by Marcin Jozwiak
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