UK clean tech startup Mission Zero Technologies (MZT) has switched on its third Direct Air Capture (DAC) system — and its first outside the UK — at Deep Sky’s flagship Alpha project in Alberta, Canada, marking another major stride toward scalable, low-cost carbon removal.
The containerised system, running entirely on solar energy, will extract up to 250 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year, before Deep Sky processes it for permanent underground storage once the Alpha site becomes fully operational later this summer.
It’s a significant leap for MZT, which has gone from first delivery to live operations in just 10 months — and in the process become the world’s most versatile DAC developer, now enabling three separate carbon removal pathways across the UK and Canada.
From Norfolk to North America
This Canadian debut follows the May launch of MZT’s second UK facility in Norfolk, developed in partnership with O.C.O Technology and the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). That plant also captures 250 tonnes of CO₂ annually, but instead of geological storage, the captured carbon is fully integrated into O.C.O’s building materials production to create carbon-negative limestone.
The company’s first project, a 2023 collaboration with the University of Sheffield, captures 50 tonnes of CO₂ a year for conversion into sustainable aviation fuel. Compared with that pioneering deployment, the new Canadian system delivers five times the carbon recovery at 60% lower cost — proof of the rapid technical iteration MZT has achieved in just two years.
Proving the model, scaling the tech
For MZT, this third deployment is more than just another site; it’s a validation of their exportable, modular DAC model. By delivering systems using ‘off-the-shelf’ components and established global supply chains, the company can deploy at pace and scale while diversifying the commercial uses for captured carbon — a crucial step in de-risking the technology for global adoption.
Co-founder and CEO Dr Nicholas Chadwick said: “I am proud to prove a third commercial use case for our direct air capture technology on a new continent. This third deployment demonstrates that we’ve established an exportable model for scaling internationally and is a testament to our team’s ability to deliver critical climate solutions at pace.”
Deep Sky’s Alpha project is the world’s first cross-technology DAC hub, designed to accelerate the route to low-cost, high-quality carbon removal at scale. By hosting multiple DAC providers, it aims to showcase the versatility of approaches and the potential for rapid industry growth.
Deep Sky CEO Alex Petre commented: “This represents an important step for the wider DAC industry, as Deep Sky is beginning to operate multiple technologies at its DAC hub in Canada. We are excited to have Mission Zero be one of the first technologies live at Alpha this summer.”
A different breed of DAC
Unlike first-generation DAC systems that rely on intense heat, MZT’s electrochemical carbon capture technology uses electricity for a far more thermodynamically efficient process. This design not only slashes energy requirements but also makes it easy to integrate with renewable sources such as solar and wind — even soaking up surplus green power that would otherwise go to waste.
With three operational systems, falling costs, and rising capacity, MZT is making a strong case that Direct Air Capture can be commercially viable, globally scalable, and environmentally sustainable — exactly the kind of innovation the race to net zero demands.
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