Chemistry spinout company gets £5m for pioneering carbon dioxide removal tech
A spinout company from the University of Leeds' School of Chemistry has received investment to scale up its pioneering carbon dioxide removal technology.
Northern Gritstone has invested in C-Capture, the leading designer of chemical processes for CO₂ removal, as part of a wider £10m funding round.
C-Capture has patented a unique, solvent-based technology which offers a safe, low-cost way to capture carbon dioxide from emission sources across a range of industries.
Based in Leeds, C-Capture was formed in 2009 as a spinout from the School of Chemistry at the University of Leeds. The company has since won backing from private investors and from the UK Government to develop its innovative carbon capture technology, which can prevent CO₂ emissions in industrial processes from entering the atmosphere.
“The company is a testament to how the world-leading science in the North of England could shape the world for the better.”
C-Capture’s next-generation solvent technology offers a sustainable solution to decarbonisation, using up to 40% less energy than currently available approaches. The company uses new, proprietary solvents to remove carbon dioxide emissions at the source, offering a safer, more efficient and cost-effective alternative to current technologies based on traditional chemistries.
Central to C-Capture's vision is making carbon dioxide removal significantly more economically viable from a wider range of large-scale processes, such as power generation from coal, gas and biomass, and the production of cement, steel, and aluminium. This offers these industries a route to decarbonisation.
Tom White, CEO of C-Capture, said: “There has never been a more critical time to take action – decisive action – against climate change than right now. This investment brings us one step closer to realising our mission of mitigating climate change by allowing our team to focus on scaling our technology.
“From our first meeting with Duncan and his team, we knew that our priorities and values are very much aligned so we’re very pleased to welcome Northern Gritstone as an investor. With their expertise in backing visionary companies in the North of England, I see a very bright future ahead of us.”
The investment by Northern Gritstone will support C-Capture’s technology commercialisation strategy which includes further testing of its one tonne per day, fully integrated carbon removal pilot plant that is currently operating at Drax power station in Yorkshire.
This funding will also be used to scale up C-Capture’s technology through the delivery of a commercial demonstration plant which will capture around 100-200 tonnes of carbon dioxide per day. It is part of a funding round of up to £10 million alongside existing investors bp Ventures, Drax and Kiko Ventures (IP Group) and with the potential for additional investors to follow.
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Carbon capture is critical for the energy transition and C-Capture’s unique technology has the potential to be applied at scale around the world as part of the global drive to tackle climate change.
“The company is a testament to how the world-leading science in the North of England could shape the world for the better.
“We look forward to joining forces with Tom and his team, and the company’s existing shareholders, as C-Capture looks to further scale its technology, helping global efforts to address climate change.”
