Climeworks and GCV Collaborate to Reinforce Direct Air Capture and Storage Projects in Kenya

Climeworks, a specialist in carbon dioxide (CO2) removal based in Switzerland, is collaborating with the Kenyan project developer, Great Carbon Valley (GCV), to delve into potential large-scale direct air capture and storage (DAC+S) initiatives in Kenya. Through this collaboration, they aim to harness Climeworks' state-of-the-art DAC technology and Kenya's capabilities for enduring underground carbon mineralisation to potentially eliminate up to a million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere once fully operational in Kenya.

This initiative follows the recent Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, which highlighted Kenya's geological strengths and its abundant sources of low-carbon energy, presenting it as a potential hub for DAC+S on a large scale.

GCV's CEO, Bilha Ndirangu, emphasized the untapped renewable energy opportunities in East Africa, including solar, wind, and geothermal resources. Furthermore, she mentioned the region's basalt formations, which could stimulate a robust carbon removal industry. Ndirangu expressed her enthusiasm about collaborating with Climeworks to utilize its innovative DAC technology in Kenya's Great Rift Valley.

Studies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest a need to extract between three to 12 gigatonnes of CO2 annually from the atmosphere by 2050 to cap global warming at 1.5C over pre-industrial standards. Climeworks, being at the forefront of global DAC+S deployment, established its ground-breaking Orca facility in Iceland in 2021. Observations indicate that the geological aspects of CO2 mineralisation in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya bear resemblance to Iceland's tested model.

Climeworks' Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Christoph Gebald, highlighted Kenya's distinct attributes that position it as a frontrunner in the effective removal of CO2 via DAC+S. With the collaboration of GCV, Climeworks seeks to harness Kenya's potential, amalgamating their combined expertise to boost Kenya's role in the global decarbonisation process.

Capitalizing on the success of its Orca plant, Climeworks initiated the development of its new DAC+S facility, dubbed Mammoth, the previous year. When fully operational, this facility is expected to capture a staggering 36,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, marking a significant milestone in Climeworks' mission to attain a gigatonne carbon capture capacity by 2050. Gebald expressed his confidence in Climeworks' role, both within Kenya and internationally.

According to the article by Procurement Resource, Switzerland's Climeworks and Kenya's Great Carbon Valley (GCV) are partnering on potential large-scale direct air capture and storage (DAC+S) projects in Kenya. Leveraging Climeworks' advanced DAC technology and Kenya's underground carbon mineralisation potential, the collaboration could remove up to a million tonnes of CO2 annually. Following the Africa Climate Summit, Kenya's geological benefits and renewable energy sources positioned it as an ideal DAC+S hub.

GCV's CEO highlighted East Africa's untapped renewable resources. The IPCC indicates a need to eliminate 3-12 gigatonnes of CO2 yearly by 2050. Climeworks, already a leader in DAC+S with its Orca facility in Iceland, notes similarities between Iceland and Kenya's Great Rift Valley. Their Mammoth facility aims to capture 36,000 tonnes of CO2 yearly, supporting their gigatonne goal by 2050. Climeworks is confident in its pivotal global and Kenyan roles.