Kyiv-based Carbominer, a modular Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, has been chosen for blended funding by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator.
The EIC Accelerator, renowned for backing groundbreaking projects, acknowledges the potential of Carbominer’s DAC machines, particularly in the context of indoor agriculture.
According to Carbominer, this funding is expected to play a crucial role in expediting the deployment of the company’s modular DAC systems.
What is Direct Air Capture technology?
Carbon dioxide Direct Air Capture (DAC), a relatively recent concept proposed in 1999, is currently in developmental stages.
While several industrial-scale pilot plants operate or are planned in Europe and the US, large-scale DAC deployment may require policy incentives as it is not yet independently profitable.
There are two prominent DAC approaches:
- The “Dry” approach, utilising adsorption with lower capital expenditures but higher energy consumption during regeneration, and
- The “Wet” approach, involves absorption into a solution with higher capital expenditures, potentially lower energy needs during regeneration, and close to pure CO2 output.
“Providing green CO2 from the open air”
Carbominer specialises in developing an efficient and sustainable technology for local carbon dioxide (CO2) capture from the ambient air.
Carbominer’s focus on Direct Air Capture of CO2 provides companies with a proven method to achieve net-zero goals, either through carbon removal or by transitioning to sustainable operations using fossil-free CO2 as a feedstock.
The company says, “Our carbon removal technology is energy-efficient, and that’s how we can provide greenhouses with cheaper CO2 than they’re paying now. We are determined to make a breakthrough in the field of Direct Air Capture of CO2.”
Carbominer claims its competitive edge lies in affordable pricing per ton of CO2, facilitated by transportable capturing modules, the use of electrochemistry for CO2 regeneration, and the ability to leverage intermittent renewable energy sources.
Since its inception in 2020, Carbominer aims to assist businesses in decarbonisation and transitioning to sustainability.
DAC technology for the agricultural sector
DAC technology, which captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, holds transformative potential for agriculture. By extracting excess CO2 and utilising it to boost crop growth, this technology contributes to creating a sustainable and low-carbon agricultural industry.
Viktoria Oseyko, CMO at Carbominer says, “As a Ukrainian team committed to global environmental goals, we are honoured and excited to receive this grant support from the EIC Accelerator.”
“We are grateful to the European Innovation Council for its commitment to promoting breakthrough innovations that positively impact the world. This funding will empower us to pursue our mission of making DAC technology accessible for any industry that needs it while making indoor agriculture more sustainable and resilient.”
Capital utilisation
Carbominer will use the money to facilitate the scaling of its Direct Air Capture (DAC) machine to a 50-ton capacity. This expansion includes piloting the technology with greenhouses and generating new employment opportunities.
The company claims that its DAC technology not only bolsters local and European economies but also emerges as a promising solution for addressing both food security and climate change mitigation.