UK Firms Launch Ambitious Teesside Direct Air Capture Plant

The consortium, comprised of Airhive, Mission Zero Technologies, and Progressive Energy, expects to initiate operations by 2030. This timeline would position the Teesside site ahead of the Mammoth facility in Iceland, currently the largest planned project in Europe with a capacity of 36,000 tons per year. Rory Brown, chief executive of Airhive, cited the UK’s strategic advantage in transport infrastructure and North Sea storage capacity as critical factors for the venture’s viability.

While the Teesside project represents a significant regional milestone, it remains smaller than global efforts like the STRATOS facility in Texas. That project, led by Occidental subsidiary 1PointFive, is designed to capture 500,000 tons of CO2 annually. Industry leaders, including Climeworks co-CEO Christoph Gebald, maintain that such technology requires stronger regulatory frameworks and a broader base of buyers to transition from niche pilot schemes into bankable industrial infrastructure.