NeoCarbon Successfully Concludes First Industrial Pilot with Kurita

NeoCarbon, a Berlin-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, has successfully concluded a pilot project in collaboration with Kurita Water Industries at their R&D center in Germany. The project combined NeoCarbon’s innovative DAC technology with Kurita’s expertise in water treatment and sustainable industrial solutions to explore new approaches to carbon removal.

The pilot, operational from July to December 2024, demonstrated NeoCarbon’s ability to transition its technology from laboratory to real-world conditions. By leveraging Kurita’s waste heat streams, NeoCarbon efficiently captured CO₂ from ambient air with a purity of up to 99%, validating its DAC approach of utilizing existing waste heat to power its carbon capture processes.

This project validated the technical feasibility of running a DAC module at Kurita’s site, now NeoCarbon and Kurita aim to scale this technology in the coming period.

What is Direct Air Capture (DAC)?
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technological solution for capturing CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. By capturing CO₂ from ambient air, DAC contributes to mitigating climate change and offers a pathway to achieving negative emissions. The captured CO₂ can either be stored permanently or utilized in various industrial applications.

What is Waste Heat?
Waste heat refers to the byproduct heat generated by industrial processes that is often released unused into the environment. NeoCarbon’s technology capitalizes on low-temperature waste heat streams, like those provided by Kurita Water’s cooling towers, to power its DAC processes, making it a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for carbon removal. 

About NeoCarbon

NeoCarbon removes CO2 cost-efficiently from ambient air, leveraging existing waste heat streams to tackle climate change. The Berlin-based team has developed their own novel reactor for their Direct Air Capture technology, and the first customer project went live in H1 2024. NeoCarbon is now backed by four venture capital firms and the team is focusing its efforts on scaling carbon removal credit pre-procurements and accelerating rollouts to industrial and commercial sites with low-temperature waste heat. 

About Kurita Water Industries

Kurita Water is a leading global company specializing in water treatment solutions, including chemical treatments, water purification systems, and wastewater management. Founded in Japan in 1949, the company provides sustainable technologies and services aimed at conserving water resources and improving industrial efficiency. Kurita Water serves diverse industries such as electronics, food, and energy, emphasizing innovation and environmental stewardship.