The UK government has released the final reports from Phase Two of its Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme, providing a detailed look at how a broad set of carbon removal technologies are performing outside the lab. The programme backed more than a dozen pilot and demonstration projects led by energy companies, startups and research consortia.
Direct air capture features prominently in the findings. Cambridge Carbon Capture’s Direct Air CO2 Capture and Mineralisation project tested a modular system that binds carbon dioxide into stable minerals, while the Smart-DAC project examined alternative sorbents aimed at lowering energy demand.
Equinor’s ENCORE Phase Two project focused on liquid-based capture chemistry designed to operate at lower temperatures. Across these efforts, developers reported technical progress but acknowledged that cost, energy intensity and scale remain significant barriers.
Biomass and bioenergy-based approaches also delivered mixed but instructive results. Evero‘s Ince Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage project demonstrated carbon capture integrated with biomass gasification, while the CCH2 project combined hydrogen production with carbon capture.
Several projects explored less conventional pathways. SeaCURE tested enhanced ocean alkalinity to increase carbon uptake from seawater, and Reverse Coal examined engineered burial of carbon-rich char in controlled environments. The GreenShed project focused on reducing and capturing methane emissions from livestock systems, broadening the programme beyond carbon dioxide alone.
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The reports arrive as carbon removal takes on greater importance in UK climate strategy. The Climate Change Committee has warned that removals will be necessary to offset residual emissions, particularly from aviation and agriculture.
When the program was launched in 2021, then Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: “This £54 million government investment announced today will help establish a greenhouse gas removal industry in the UK, which could be worth billions to our economy, bringing in private investment and supporting the creation of new green jobs.”
At the same time, analysts continue to question how quickly these technologies can scale and how they should be regulated. The Phase Two results suggest that while carbon removal is advancing, it remains a costly and complex complement to emissions reduction rather than a shortcut to net zero.
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