Mission Zero, a company at the forefront of carbon capture technology, has announced a groundbreaking direct air capture (DAC) project at Wretham in Norfolk, in collaboration with O.C.O. Technology. The innovative plant will extract carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere and utilize it in the creation of limestone building materials, a process the companies believe represents a world first.
Nicholas Chadwick, co-founder of Mission Zero, highlighted the significance of the project, stating, “We’re demonstrating one of the pioneering processes of the future in an area you wouldn’t normally associate with it.” He emphasized the potential for the project to create “high quality green jobs” within the region, encouraging skilled individuals from various industries to join the “green transition.”
O.C.O. Technology, an established operator in Wretham producing “sustainable aggregate” from industrial byproducts, will now benefit from the on-site captured CO2, eliminating the need for imported manufactured gas. Graham Cooper, managing director of O.C.O. Technology, noted the environmental benefits for local construction projects, stating, “A significant number of construction projects in the locality are going to have a lower carbon footprint.” He further emphasized the broader importance of direct air capture in achieving net-zero emissions, adding, “Direct air capture is so necessary to reaching net zero and reducing carbon in the atmosphere,” and that it’s “important that people can feel their region is contributing to moving things forward.”
The collaboration between Mission Zero and O.C.O. Technology showcases a tangible application of direct air capture, a technology widely recognized as a crucial solution in the fight against climate change. While Mission Zero’s initial plant has a capacity to remove 250 tonnes of CO2 annually, compared to the UK’s estimated 406.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, Dr. Chadwick emphasized the importance of proving the technology and scaling it for broader impact. He stated, “It’s a real working chemical plant sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere and locking it away so it can’t warm the planet again… The 2020s is about demonstrating this is real.”
Mission Zero’s vision extends beyond carbon removal, aiming to “redefine humanity’s relationship with carbon” by utilizing atmospheric CO2 as a sustainable resource to displace reliance on fossil fuels. This pioneering project in Norfolk marks a significant step forward in demonstrating the viability and potential of direct air capture technology and its ability to contribute to both environmental sustainability and regional job creation.
