Dutch carbon capture startup Skytree opens offices in US, Canada

Dutch startup Skytree has opened a caller HQ successful Toronto, Canada and a caller agency successful Nashville, Tennessee, arsenic it looks to cash-in connected charismatic authorities incentives for nonstop c seizure (DAC) technologies. 

Engineer-turned-entrepreneur Max Beaumont founded Skytree successful 2014, pursuing his activity connected DAC for nan European Space Agency. Skytree’s exertion is based connected nan c scrubbers utilized aboard nan International Space Station, which region nan excess CO2 produced from nan activity of astronauts.   

Direct aerial capture

DAC machines suck CO2 from nan aerial for illustration a elephantine vacuum. The CO2 they seizure tin beryllium buried underground aliases mineralised into rock for construction. It tin besides beryllium utilized to make thing from cleaner chemicals to sustainable aviation fuel for aircraft. 

“Skytree is among only a fewer companies successful nan world pinch DAC units already operating successfully successful nan field,” said CEO Rob van Straten. “We are eager to connection manufacture partners a viable, economical pathway to move atmospheric CO2 into valuable inputs — aliases to shop it safely and indefinitely underground.”

Skytree has built 2 carbon-sucking devices. One, Skytree Cumulus, produces 20kg of CO2 daily. It is targetted astatine small-scale applications specified arsenic vertical farming and cannabis cultivation. Farmers usage nan state to boost works growth. 

The different unit, Stratus, is overmuch bigger. It captures up to 1000kg of CO2 per day. Skytree designed Stratus for industrial-scale applications, specified arsenic for ample greenhouses and green cement plants aliases for funeral underground.   

The Stratus units are modular, truthful they tin beryllium stacked together to make one, overmuch larger instrumentality which Skytree calls nan “Stratus Hub.” The startup is readying to build 1 of these hubs astatine its guidelines successful Amsterdam. Once up and running, nan institution expects nan instrumentality to suck up 50,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. 

Developed complete much than a decade, Skytree said it has achieved level 9 connected nan exertion readiness scale, nan highest possible. This intends Skytree is poised for full-scale commercialized deployment, a uncommon point successful nan budding c seizure industry.

Skytree’s first customers person mostly been greenhouses. The institution besides precocious announced plans to instal a Stratus portion astatine nan offices of Deep Sky, a chap DAC institution from Canada. Now it’s looking to standard up and into caller industries including nutrient and beverage. 

Cashing successful connected ambiance tech funding   

“The US continues to show increasing request for proven, cost-effective, scalable DAC exertion driven by nan needs of manufacture and pinch nan backing by government,” said van Straten.  

Skytree said it chose Nashville for its agency partially owed to its adjacent proximity to its manufacturing partner Scanfil. The Swedish patient will make nan Stratus and Cumulus machines astatine its mill successful nan adjacent metropolis of Atlanta.  

Skytree said it chose Toronto for its North American HQ owed to nan city’s beardown ambiance tech ecosystem and entree to talent. In summation to Deep Sky, Skytree already has a business pinch Canadian vertical farming institution Fieldless Farms, which uses nan captured CO2 to amended nan yields from its strawberry plants.  

“As portion of Toronto’s passionate climate-focused tech community, I americium assured that Skytree will make a meaningful effect not only present but crossed nan globe,” said Olivia Chow, Toronto’s mayor.