Mission Zero Technologies turns on UK’s first direct air capture plant with the University of Sheffield

Mission Zero Technologies:

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• Carbon removal technology developer Mission Zero Technologies (MZT) has turned on the UK’s first direct air capture (DAC) plant, which efficiently removes CO₂ from the atmosphere using renewable energy and water.
• The plant was bought by the University of Sheffield’s Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) for a first-of-a-kind UK project validating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) made from air to decarbonise UK aviation.
• The plant is one of two commercially-financed DAC systems in the world, establishing the UK as a front runner within the burgeoning global DAC industry.
• DAC is globally recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a critical technology for humanity to meet its 1.5°C obligations.

The plant at a glance

On a mission to reinvent the world’s relationship with carbon, MZT have deployed their first commercially-financed DAC system in the UK seven months after signing the contract. The plant was sold to the University of Sheffield’s TERC, a world-leading zero-carbon energy research institution. TERC will use MZT’s technology to validate the end-to-end production of jet fuel made from atmospheric carbon, certifying it so that it can be brought to market.

MZT’s energy-efficient electrochemical DAC technology recovers CO₂ from the atmosphere using electricity and water. The remotely-operated plant will run on solar power generated on site to recover 50 tonnes per year of high-purity CO₂ from the air. MZT’s versatile DAC technology provides a plug and play source of sustainable carbon on demand for both sustainable use and permanent removal. Designed for rapid scaling, it leverages mature off-the-shelf components in a modular design that can be integrated with load-variable renewable grids.

UK industrial climate leadership

A watershed moment for the UK’s DAC and SAF industries, the plant reinforces the UK’s position as an international climate leader accelerating critical solutions to help deliver Net Zero. DAC is widely seen as the only technology capable of providing a sustainable carbon feedstock to help the UK government meet its mandate for 10% SAF jet fuel by 2030. This first-of-a-kind UK DAC-to-jet fuel project will provide project financiers and developers with the analysis required to scale a UK SAF ecosystem. By proving DAC’s readiness for industrial scale, it will also pave the way for more fossil-dependent industries to rapidly decarbonise.

“We’re thrilled to be delivering our first ever DAC plant on home soil with the University of Sheffield,” said MZT’s CEO, Dr Nicholas Chadwick. “DAC is a multi-use technology able to drive deep industrial decarbonisation and permanent carbon removal. Through pioneering partnership, we’re already realising that potential.”

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Managing Director of TERC, said: “This installation is hugely exciting for us, and for the world, as we discover more about the potential for decarbonised industrial processes and air transport using novel DAC technology. TERC’s capabilities in processing captured carbon in order to transform it has made it an ideal location for the first DAC plant. We’re excited to work closely with MZT on this project and other world-leading activities.”

About Mission Zero Technologies:

Based in London, UK, Mission Zero Technologies is reinventing carbon for a thriving planet. Since 2020, the team has rapidly pioneered high-efficiency Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to remove historic CO₂ emissions from the atmosphere anywhere at any scale. Backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the XPRIZE foundation, Anglo American, Stripe, and the UK Government, Mission Zero has moved from lab to commercial plants in under three years to rapidly empower carbon removal and utilisation pathways. Follow their mission at www.missionzero.tech.

About the Translational Energy Research Centre:

The Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) is a world-leading pilot-scale research centre, working with industry to test and develop green energy solutions for a decarbonised future. It is one of the largest and best-equipped zero-carbon energy research and development facilities in Europe. Based at the University of Sheffield and forming part of its Energy Institute, TERC works with industrial and academic partners to find solutions to critical energy challenges through world-class research and dedicated testing and demonstration. For more information, visit: terc.ac.uk.

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Contact information

Emily Hunt
Mission Zero Technologies
Emily.Hunt@missionzero.tech

Rhianne Spurden
Translational Energy Research Centre
r.spurden@sheffield.ac.uk