EU’s First Onshore Carbon Removal Project Launched

A strategic partnership has been formed to establish the European Union’s (EU) first onshore Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS) project.

The project, in France, is masterminded by RepAir Carbon and C-Questra and marks a significant step forward in the EU’s efforts to lead the global decarbonisation race.

It is hoped that this project will play a key role in addressing one of the key challenges the EU faces when it comes to environmental sustainability — efficient and scalable carbon dioxide removal.

RepAir and C-Questra: A landmark partnership in carbon capture

For the project in Grandpuits, outside Paris, C-Questra has applied for permits to develop an onshore CO₂ storage facility. By 2030, the goal is to capture and store 100,000 tons of CO₂ each year, with the hope of scaling this up to megaton levels by 2035. 

By co-locating capture and storage facilities, the project reduces the need for costly midstream infrastructure, making it a more viable solution for widespread adoption.

RepAir Carbon and C-Questra both believe this large-scale carbon removal is crucial to lowering atmospheric CO₂ levels and tackling climate change.

Not only that, but this partnership marks a first for the EU. Thanks to RepAir’s unique Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, not only can carbon be extracted from the atmosphere, but the technology behind it — often an energy-intensive process — is streamlined, making it more efficient. 

Unlike conventional DAC systems, RepAir’s technology operates entirely on electricity, cutting energy consumption by 70%. As a result, the need for heat is eliminated, as is the use of solvents and sorbents — which are often costly and pose health and safety risks.

“This is setting a new standard for efficient, scalable carbon removal in Europe,” said Jean-Philippe Hiegel, Head of Strategy and Growth at RepAir Carbon. 

RepAir carbon’s technology only uses 0.6MWh per ton of CO₂ captured, compared to 2.5MWh for most competitors.

By working with C-Questra’s unique set of carbon storage expertise, barriers to widespread DACS adoption are eliminated. This, Jean-Philippe says, is incredibly exciting given global decarbonisation needs.

Walid Sinno, Founder and CEO of C-Questra added: “As one of the few CO₂ storage companies operating independently from the fossil fuel industry, C-Questra offers the paramount safety, permanence and sustainability needed to rapidly advance CCS projects in Europe.

“Our partnership with RepAir allows us to demonstrate Europe’s ability to mature onshore direct air capture and storage projects. This is important to balancing the momentum created by the US Inflation Act and resurface Europe as a leader in the CDR space.”

Why is carbon capture important?

There are five key reasons why carbon capture is essential when it comes to combating climate change.

Benefits of carbon capture include:

• Reducing atmospheric CO₂: One of the main reasons, carbon capture technologies help remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, which is crucial for reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases. This reduction is essential to mitigate global warming and its associated impacts.
• Meeting climate targets: To reach net zero by 2050, reducing emissions it not enough. Existing CO₂ also needs removing from the atmosphere. Carbon capture offsets emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors, like heavy industry and aviation.
• Supporting industrial decarbonisation: Carbon capture allows industrial sectors to continue operating while significantly reducing their carbon footprint.
• Enabling negative emissions: When combined with storage (CCS) or utilisation (CCU), carbon capture can result in negative emissions — meaning more CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere than is emitted.
• Economic opportunities: The development and deployment of carbon capture technologies create new industries and jobs, particularly in areas focused on green technology and sustainable practices. 

However, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report that the oil and gas industry is relying excessively on carbon capture to reduce emissions, calling the approach ‘an illusion’.

“Producers must choose between contributing to a deepening climate crisis or becoming part of the solution by embracing the shift to clean energy,” the report declared.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), however, states that carbon capture is a lifeline for industries that heavily rely on fossil fuels.

Despite this, the IEA advocates that carbon capture technologies are important, with it highlighting the role Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) plays in low-carbon power systems.

“Meeting long-term climate goals without applying carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies at scale in the power sector requires the virtual elimination of coal-fired power generation and, eventually, that of gas-fired generation as well, with significant early retirements and potential for stranded assets,” it said.

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