Return and Verified Announce First 100% Wind-Powered Direct Air Capture Hub, Designed To Scale to 500,000 Tons Annually

'Project Concho' Combines Proven DAC Technology, New Local Wind Power And Texas' Carbon Storage Capacity

SAN ANGELO, Texas, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carbon capture and removal project developers Return Carbon and Verified Carbon today announced 'Project Concho,' a pioneering Direct Air Capture (DAC) hub to be built in Tom Green County, Texas. Project Concho will be the first DAC hub in the world to run entirely on wind power and will leverage advanced DAC technology as well as onsite geological carbon storage to capture and permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. In its first phase, the facility aims to remove 50,000 tons annually before 2030, with expansion plans to reach 500,000 tons per year, in turn creating premium, verified carbon credits that hold significant value in carbon markets.

Project Concho will be powered by a new wind farm to be built and operated by Greenalia, a leading global renewable energy producer with presence in wind and solar in Europe and the United States. The technology underpinning Project Concho will be provided by Skytree, an industry-leading carbon removal company born out of the European Space Agency with DAC units in deployment across Europe, Canada, and the United States.

"Project Concho is a significant step forward in scaling up DAC," said Martijn Verwoerd, Managing Director of Return Carbon. "This opportunity aligns perfectly with Return Carbon and Verified Carbon's joint mission to mitigate climate change through the scalable commercialization of new technologies in impactful infrastructure projects. We're thrilled to make West Texas a home for this groundbreaking DAC hub and create new opportunities for the region."

Collaboration Sets Stage For Future Renewable Power-DAC Projects

Project Concho is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between a wind energy provider and a DAC developer: the DAC hub guarantees a reliable offtake of wind energy in return for access to low-cost power, one of the challenges associated with large-scale DAC projects. Project Concho's energy optimization will be enabled through its flexible use of power, leveraging the agreement of Greenalia and Concho partners to develop a unique Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) structure that allows for price stability and full energy deliverability. This symbiotic arrangement sets the stage for future joint renewable power-DAC projects that enable greater scale, lower risk, and reduced costs.

"We are excited about the partnership with Project Concho and there is a vision and a framework for collaboration that our companies share," said Alexandre Alonso, SVP of Business Development at Greenalia. "The flexibility offered by the DAC hub to optimize around energy price peaks is a game changer for renewable energy projects. It not only strengthens the business case for our wind farm under development in Texas but also contributes to adding innovative business models and alternatives for a greener energy landscape in the U.S."

State-of-the-art DAC Technology

Project Concho will feature a connected array of Skytree Stratus DAC units. Skytree's patented DAC technology continuously optimizes energy use and drives down energy consumption while ensuring optimal CO₂ capture efficiency. In addition, its modular design and 24/7 uptime guarantee made it a logical choice for a large-scale project like Project Concho in which units will be added over time.

"Project Concho is a first-of-its-kind collaboration that opens the door to even more ambitious and transformative carbon removal projects," said Elena Nikonova, VP North America at Skytree. "Deploying DAC at scale is necessary to drive down costs across the value chain and achieve greater impact and we are thrilled to provide the technology needed to bring Project Concho to life."

Revenue and Environmental Benefits to Concho Valley

Through carbon sequestration, local landowners can take advantage of passive revenue streams while promoting sustainable land use. "Project Concho brings significant benefits to the Concho Valley, providing new economic opportunities for landowners beyond traditional activities," said Coleman White, co-founder of Verified Carbon and Concho Valley landowner. "Projects like these allow us to maintain traditional land uses while benefiting from a new income source and supporting projects that sustain both our environment and local economy".

About Return Carbon

Return Carbon is a project development and investment company focused on sustainable infrastructure and energy transition projects, with a focus on the development of Direct Air Capture. Return Carbon is part of the Return group, a leading investor in solar and energy storage, with an extensive portfolio in Europe. Return has gained prominence in Europe's energy transition, having raised EUR 100 million to support its portfolio companies, including leading energy storage companies such as SemperPower, Lion Storage, and J&P Batterie Projekte.

About Verified Carbon

Verified Carbon is a Texas-based carbon capture company, originating from the University of Texas at Austin. The company specializes in deploying DAC technology to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change while delivering financial benefits to local stakeholders. Verified Carbon, whose founding members have contributed to over 35 different Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects, brings vital knowledge of the subsurface and strong landowner partnerships to the project, creating new revenue opportunities for landowners while advancing sustainable carbon sequestration in the region.

About Greenalia

Greenalia is an Independent Power Producer exclusively for renewable energy. The company harnesses wind, sun, and forestry biomass from certified plantations' remains to generate and store energy sustainably. Greenalia promotes employment and innovation in the regions where it operates, driving growth across Europe and the U.S.

About Skytree

Born out of the European Space Agency in 2014 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Skytree harnesses CO₂ from ambient air through the power of direct air capture technology (DAC). Its patented technology can be set up quickly at any location and scaled to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. With Skytree's unique Uptime Assurance Guarantee, all DAC systems are monitored to ensure uninterrupted operations and measured to provide valuable insights. Skytree's Stratus DAC units are field-upgradable to newer generations as capture materials evolve, reducing energy consumption costs while improving unit capacity over time. For more information, visit skytree.eu.

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