Cleantech start-up Climeworks has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Great Carbon Valley. The goal is to build CO2 capture and storage facilities in Kenya. These are to remove up to 1 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The Zurich-based start-up Climeworks has decided to collaborate with the Great Carbon Valley (GCV) company in Kenya. Together, the partners want to implement several projects in Kenya in which CO2 is filtered from the atmosphere and stored underground. Climeworks' technology, which was originally developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), will be used.
The first plant of Climeworks and GCV could start operation as early as 2028, according to the announcement. When the joint project is fully implemented, up to 1 million tonnes of CO2 will be removed from the atmosphere and stored.
In a first step, GCV will now investigate storage and energy possibilities in Kenya with various partners. After that, Climeworks and GCV want to start realising the first plant, as long as the energy and storage infrastructure can be developed and implemented. The partners have committed to using local labour and supply chains as part of the collaboration.
For the Kenya project, Climeworks is drawing on its experience in a similar project in Iceland, where a CO2 capture and storage facility is already in operation. "Kenya's Great Rift Valley offers the geological potential for safe and permanent CO2 mineralisation deep underground, similar to the proven model in Iceland," Climeworks said in the statement.
GCV specialises in implementing carbon capture projects across Africa. The project brings it closer to its goal of implementing a network of carbon capture plants in Africa.