Over the last two years, Carbominer has taken a significant step forward in developing Direct Air Capture CO₂ production that is fossil-free and potentially viable for greenhouse agriculture.
Through the C-DAC project, supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, we have advanced our electrochemistry-based Direct Air Capture technology from prototype toward testing and validation – moving closer to real-world application readiness.
About the project
As the global population grows, food security and climate resilience are becoming strategic priorities for the EU and wider society. Greenhouse businesses are key to a resilient, stable, and fed population in the future.
At the same time, greenhouse CO₂ supply depends on external fossil-based sources with volatile pricing and uncertain availability. And then, there is also increasing pressure to decarbonise operations.
Carbominer’s C-DAC 50t Unit was developed with both challenges in mind. The project aimed to explore replacing traditional, fossil-derived liquid carbon dioxide supply with CO₂ captured locally and supplied directly from the air. This approach could help greenhouse operators reduce supply chain dependency while maintaining productive growth cycles with CO₂ injections.
The C-DAC project received funding from the European Innovation Council Accelerator under the Horizon Europe programme in February 2024. The goal was to develop and validate Carbominer’s fully electric Direct Air Capture technology.
The 2-year project focused on:
– pushing the DAC system toward operational readiness;
– validating the feasibility of long-term greenhouse application;
– improving energy efficiency and operational stability;
– preparing the technology for industrial manufacturing and future market entry.
Advancing DAC technology beyond the lab
Unlike conventional CO₂ supply systems that depend on fossil fuel combustion, Carbominer’s electrochemistry-based technology captures CO₂ directly from the atmosphere and delivers it on-site.
At the core of the system is Carbominer’s proprietary pH-swing regeneration process combined with bipolar membrane electrodialysis, enabling low-temperature, fully electric CO₂ extraction.
During the project, the team worked on optimisation of the CO₂ absorption process, electrodialysis performance, system integration and automation, operational reliability, and reduction of energy consumption per unit of captured CO₂. Engineering iterations also improved the modularity and scalability of the design — important steps toward eventual commercial deployment.
Scaling from laboratory conditions to real-time application in greenhouse environments provided valuable technical insights into airflow dynamics, humidity management, maintenance requirements, and operational stability under varying outdoor climate conditions.
Building commercial readiness
Carbominer’s approach from the inception was about challenging the status quo in greenhouse business – producing CO₂ on-site from ambient air using renewable electricity. The idea received good feedback from farmers, presenting itself as both a sustainable and stable alternative.
Beyond technical development, the C-DAC project supported Carbominer’s transition toward commercial scaling. Key activities included:
– customer development and concept validation with greenhouse operators;
– refinement of the commercial deployment model;
– strengthening of intellectual property and technical know-how;
– production optimisation and preparation for future industrial scaling.
These activities helped define the next milestones needed to move from pilot-ready systems toward broader deployment. The project suggested that decentralised DAC could evolve from a climate technology concept into a practical industrial application with clear customer value – though further scaling work remains ahead.
Internal testing results
A core objective of the project was validating local CO₂ production directly from air.
By the end of the project, the technology had been tested internally. The test results indicated several promising advantages:
– local, controllable, and more sustainable CO₂ production;
– compatibility with renewable electricity;
– reduced dependency on fossil fuel supply chains.
The next step is converting present interest from greenhouse operators to pilots and commercial contracts.
Key learnings from the C-DAC project
Operating outside controlled laboratory environments provided important lessons for future deployments:
- modular design and operational simplicity are critical for practical greenhouse implementation;
- a buffer storage system between the DAC unit and the greenhouse is necessary, as plants consume CO₂ only during daytime;
- an interesting technical challenge emerged around the concentration paradox: capturing atmospheric CO₂ only to redistribute it at lower concentrations (800–1300 ppm is agronomically optimal for plant growth).
The completion of the C-DAC project marks an important milestone in Carbominer’s development journey. Building on these results, we aim to continue advancing toward improved cost efficiency and larger-scale deployments, as well as exploring new industrial applications beyond greenhouse agriculture.
As Europe accelerates its transition toward climate-neutral industry, decentralised fossil-free CO₂ production has the potential to become a meaningful part of future industrial infrastructure — and to deliver practical value today in sectors where the need is most immediate.