Top 10: Carbon Capture Companies

The dire need to combat climate change — as well as its effects on the planet — has spurred on innovation at an unfathomable rate.

One such technology that has risen to significant prominence is carbon capture, which acts as a crucial bridge between driving the energy transition and the world’s continuing dependence on hard-to-abate industries.

Several companies are emerging as leaders in this crucial field across a multitude of different industries, from technology to oil and gas and construction to manufacturing.

And their dominance is only set to grow as governments and corporations increasingly prioritise carbon reduction strategies, with carbon capture experts attracting significant investments and forging partnerships with major global players.

Made up of a mix of major oil and gas corporations — a sector particularly active in promoting and investing in carbon capture technology — as well as specialised carbon capture firms, tech businesses and materials and construction, here is Energy Digital’s top 10 carbon capture companies.

10. Microsoft

Carbon capture technology: Direct air capture (DAC)

To make its commitment to being carbon negative before the end of the decade a reality, Microsoft needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half. On top of this, it is working on removing the rest before then removing the equivalent of its historical emissions by 2050.

No mean feat, to do this Microsoft is working in direct air capture. Along with biomass carbon removal and storage and mineralisation — all of which boast durability terms of more than 1,000 years — Microsoft has dedicated itself to prioritising projects with responsible storage, monitoring strategies and full lifecycle assessments.

Earlier this year, carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) company 1PointFive, entered into an agreement with Microsoft to sell 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits over a six-year period to support Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy. 

Brian Marrs, Microsoft's Senior Director for Carbon Removal and Energy, said: “DAC plays an important role in Microsoft’s carbon removal portfolio supporting our broader goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.”

9. ExxonMobil

Carbon capture technology: Post-combustion capture 

American multinational oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil, despite building its wealth and reputation from polluting oil and gas, is working in carbon capture technologies to secure both its future and that of the planet.

For example, it works with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in a post-combustion capture partnership by integrating existing MHI technology into its own “one-stop-shop” carbon capture, transportation and storage offering. 

Post-combustion capture technology separates and selectively enriches CO₂ from flue gas emitted by combustion equipment using both physical and chemical methods.

ExxonMobil and MHI’s post-combustion capture partnership accompanies ExxonMobil’s joint technical development with MHI to further advance post-combustion capture technology to further lower the cost of abatement.

8. Air Products and Chemicals

Carbon capture technology: Oxy-fuel combustion

Air Products and Chemicals specialises in developing innovative oxy-fuel combustion systems for metals production and other industrial applications. 

Russell Hewertson, Air Products’ Americas Commercial Technology Manager, said: “Air contains almost 80% nitrogen, which doesn’t burn; it heats up and removes heat from the process as it exits in the form of hot flue gases. 

“Combustion with oxygen eliminates this waste and provides faster melting, lower fuel usage, lower carbon dioxide generation, reduced NOx and particulate emissions and higher flame temperatures. Oxygen also efficiently burns lower quality fuels and wastes.”

Air Products’ custom oxy-fuel burner systems are tailored to the specific needs of metal producers, which, in turn, increases productivity, reduces emissions and improves energy efficiency for metal producers. This means it offers a variety of burner technologies with features like adjustable flame shapes, heat release profiles and low NOx capabilities.

7. Shell

Carbon capture technology: Pre-combustion capture

Shell Catalysts & Technologies specialises in the capture of CO₂ from pre- and post-combustion flue gas from industrial emissions. Through Shell Catalysts & Technologies, the brand partners with organisations for the transportation and sequestration of captured CO₂.

ADIP ULTRA, Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ gas-treating process, enables enhanced removal of CO₂. It is used for the pre-combustion capture from flue gas.

Shell Catalysts & Technologies has significantly upgraded past solvent performance which offers a step change to the industry’s CO₂ removal capability.

ADIP ULTRA solvent, Shell says, can facilitate efficient and stable operations owing to its characteristics of low levels of hydrocarbon solubility, foaming, fouling, corrosion and degradation, capturing up to 25% more CO₂. 

6. Air Liquide

Carbon capture technology: Membrane separation

​​​​​​​Air Liquide designs, engineers and manufactures hollow fibre membranes and complete membrane systems for gas separation and purification. Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS) is the company’s brand of industry-leading advanced membrane separation technology. 

ALaS’ diverse portfolio of membrane products — such as MEDAL, PoroGen and IMS membranes — cater to a variety of industries such as aerospace, oil and gas and chemicals. This technology is implemented across different applications, such as hydrogen purification, nitrogen generation, natural gas treatment and, most relevant to this list, carbon dioxide removal.

As described by the company on its websites: “Air Liquide’s membrane technology delivers uncompromising performance within a compact design. By utilising a proven polymer blend and advanced hollow fibre technology, Air Liquide Advanced Separation (ALaS) system units are able to provide customers with multiple technical solutions for gas separation and purification.”

5. TotalEnergies

Carbon capture technology: Chemical looping combustion (CLC)

CLC is an oxy-combustion technology used to convert biomass and fossil fuels in order to obtain a flow of pure CO₂ suitable for low-cost capture.

TotalEnergies has patented a Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) plant for solid hydrocarbon feedstocks. This facility features a solid/solid separator positioned above the combustion reactor, significantly improving the efficiency of separating oxygen-carrying solid particles from unburnt residues. 

As part of the CHEERS consortium, TotalEnergies is advancing CLC technology with the construction of the world’s largest 3MWth demonstration unit in China. This project aims to validate CLC's potential for cost-effective carbon capture and industry decarbonisation. 

TotalEnergies’ R&D teams played a crucial role in the research and design phases, enabling the project to progress to the pre-industrial validation stage. 

4. Heidelberg Materials

Carbon capture technology: Calcium looping (CaL)

Calcium looping technology – also known as the regenerative carbon cycle (RCC) – removes CO₂ from the flue gases of a cement plant as well as other power and industrial facilities using a calcium oxide (CaO) sorbent.

Heidelberg Materials leverages this technology through several projects that use CaL.

Heidelberg Materials' Global Director of the Competence Center Cement, Antonio Clausi, is leading the development of new technologies to decarbonise the cement industry.

He said: “The cement and concrete industry has an essential role to play when it comes to meeting global climate targets. In addition to established measures such as increasing energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels and raw materials, we also need to focus on the development of innovative carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies.

“At Heidelberg Materials, we are committed to developing CCUS at industrial scale and selecting the right technologies for implementation at each of our sites. In this way, we reduce CO₂ emissions and support a low-carbon future.”

3. BASF

Carbon capture technology: Ionic liquids

The largest chemical producer in the world, BASF is active in researching and developing ionic liquids for carbon capture applications. 

Ionic liquids — salts that remain liquid at room temperature — have unique properties that make them promising for CO₂ absorption.

The chemical titan collaborated with CogniTek Management Systems on a project to develop heat-exchange fluids that combine ionic liquids and supercritical carbon dioxide capture from industrial flue gases. 

These ionic liquids offer advantages over traditional amine-based solvents, including lower energy requirements for regeneration, reduced corrosion and minimal evaporation losses.

2. Drax Group

Carbon capture technology: Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)

BECCS is the most scalable and affordable carbon removal technology available and can be deployed quickly, Drax Group says, meaning it plays a key role in achieving net zero by 2050.

The renewable energy company works with regional and national policymakers, in the UK, US and Canada, to support governments in developing effective carbon removal policies and investment frameworks. 

Drax has been piloting a BECCS project at its North Yorkshire power station since 2018 and plans on building the world’s largest carbon capture facility, which could remove at least eight million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year.

It also works with giants of industry as part of its pursuits. MHI installed a second BECCS pilot facility at Drax’s power station in 2020, with the two companies agreeing to a long-term contract for Drax to use MHI’s carbon capture technology.

“BECCS is such a vital technology because it delivers reliable renewable power whilst permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” Drax’s CEO Will Gardiner said. “According to National Grid’s report it is the most viable large scale carbon removal option available.”

1. Southern Company

Carbon capture technology: Cryogenic carbon capture (CCC)

Using low temperatures to separate gases, CCC has the potential to reduce carbon emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants by up to 99%.

Advantages of CCC include:

• Low energy penalty 
• Potential for grid-scale energy storage 
• Process simplicity 
• Low cost 
• Ability to capture multiple pollutants 
• No toxic chemicals 

Carbon America — a startup delivering the entire CO₂ capture-transport-storage value chain  — is testing its FrostCC cryogenic carbon dioxide separation process at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC).

The NCCC is managed and operated by major utility Southern Company for the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

“Cryogenic separation has enormous potential for post-combustion carbon capture from various sources,” said NCCC Principal Engineer John Carroll. “Our team is excited to host Carbon America’s field test of its cryogenic technology at the pilot scale here at the National Carbon Capture Center – a first for our facility.”

Carbon America’s FrostCC cryogenic CO₂ separation technology requires no external refrigerant and instead uses a process which compresses and expands the flue gas stream with recuperative heat integration. This produces a self-refrigerating flue gas. 

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