A carbon capture startup has moved its first commercial pilot project from the U.S. to Canada due to what it sees as more stable government incentives and support.
CarbonCapture Inc. subsidiary True North Carbon is constructing a direct air capture (DAC) system in Alberta. It expects to go online by the end of October. The project will have the ability to capture 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year at full capacity, making it the biggest system of its kind operating in the country.
In Canada, tax incentives and the regulatory landscape will make it easier for the carbon capture and storage industry to scale, CarbonCapture chief executive Adrian Corless said. The company originally planned to build the project in Arizona and had components for it ready in a factory in the state. But earlier this year, when Energy Secretary Chris Wright terminated billions in awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the company made a quick decision to pivot, shipping all the equipment to a rural patch of farmland in Alberta in a matter of months, Corless said.
The U.S. has a program for so-called DAC hubs that started under former President Joe Biden to support the industry. But as the Trump administration shifts its climate and energy policy, Corless said he was concerned the program may end up being cut or scaled back.
Those concerns also factored into CarbonCapture’s decision earlier this year.
More on this story at Financial Post.
