A new milestone in carbon capture, direct air capture, and geological storage has emerged from Kenya’s Rift Valley, where Cella Mineral Storage and Octavia Carbon have successfully completed an early-stage underground CO2 injection. The test, though modest in scale at roughly half a ton, marks the fourth known instance globally of a direct air capture and storage system injecting carbon dioxide into geological formations.
The achievement reflects a rapid buildout. The companies reached this point in under four years, underscoring how quickly direct air capture technologies are moving from concept to field deployment. Their pilot also highlights growing momentum in carbon capture solutions that pair atmospheric removal with permanent geological storage.
Cella’s contribution centers on adapting established oilfield techniques. Its pilot applied water-alternating-gas injection, a method widely used in enhanced oil recovery, to basalt formations. According to the company, the test delivered high injection rates with significantly lower water usage compared to other mineralization projects.
Speaking to the Journal of Petroleum Engineers cofounder Claire Nelson said: “What we’re trying to develop as a company, is a technology that enables distributed, boutique storage solutions to solve the problem of stranded emissions.” She also added that existing infrastructure and subsurface expertise from the oil and gas sector could accelerate scaling.
The Kenya site is also notable for its geology. Basalt formations enable injected CO2 to react and form stable minerals, effectively locking emissions underground. Cella says its approach differs by injecting pure-phase CO2 rather than dissolving it fully in water, potentially reducing operational costs.
The implications extend beyond a single pilot. As Nelson noted, “the CO2 storage business right now is shaping up to be a hub-and-spoke world,” but decentralized approaches could reduce the need for costly transport infrastructure.
The implications for carbon capture and direct air capture can be substantial, as the approach could create a path for smaller, distributed systems for CO2 storage that can complement large-scale hubs, especially for regions without pipeline networks. If replicated, such models could expand access to geological storage and make carbon capture and direct air capture more feasible for emitters across diverse geographies and regions.
Read more: Cella And PRONOE Secure Prepurchase Deals With Frontier Buyers
