The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) proudly recognizes the achievement of technology developer Aircapture, which, in collaboration with 44.01, recently won a $1 million XPRIZE award for their innovative Project Hajar.
Supporting the win
Aircapture, a leader in direct air capture (DAC) solutions, removes carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from the atmosphere and supplies it as a clean CO₂ circular commodity for commercial and industrial use. The company can deliver both gaseous and high-grade liquid CO₂ at 99.998% purity, expanding the potential for on-site utilization across multiple sectors. Project Hajar, a joint DAC-to-mineralization (DAC+M) venture with 44.01, deploys Aircapture’s advanced modular DAC units in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Hajar Mountains. The NCCC provided critical pilot testing, scientific collaboration and helped facilitate their demonstration and scale-up toward commercialization.
At the UAE project site, 44.01 takes Aircapture’s captured CO₂ and converts it into rock, utilizing its pioneering technology that accelerates the natural process of CO₂ mineralization. The system’s modular design permits seamless on-site integration of clean CO₂ into an end-use production process.
This DAC+M solution offers compelling benefits:
- Rapid deployment and scalability
- High-purity CO₂ output for diverse applications
- Integration with waste heat and clean energy sources
- Flexible, modular units installable at customer sites
When deployed at full scale, solutions such as Project Hajar have the potential to eliminate billions of tonnes of CO₂ globally, underscoring the NCCC’s commitment to supporting the real-world deployment of carbon management technologies.
Driving breakthroughs together
In 2023, the NCCC collaborated with Aircapture and the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) to install and test Aircapture’s DAC recovery system. The testing, which leveraged NCCC’s top-tier facilities and expert staff, validated the technology’s performance under real-world conditions.
“Partnering with the National Carbon Capture Center and leveraging their staff’s expertise allowed us to demonstrate at scale a modular technology that meets industrial CO₂ needs today and lays the groundwork for global carbon removal tomorrow,” said Matt Atwood, founder and CEO of Aircapture. “Our systems deliver clean, high-purity CO₂ directly at the point of use—cutting costs, reducing emissions and providing supply chain resilience. By turning atmospheric carbon into a reliable industrial input, we’re building a smarter, circular carbon economy—one that works for the environment and the economy.”
NCCC and XPRIZE-winning technologies
This marks the second time an NCCC-supported technology developer has earned the prestigious XPRIZE. In 2021, the NCCC supported CarbonBuilt and the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering in pilot-testing their low-carbon concrete technology, which substitutes hydrated lime for Portland cement and cures with CO₂ to create strong, durable concrete with drastically reduced emissions. The testing was successful across all metrics and was later commercialized.
“Congratulations to Aircapture and 44.01 on winning XPRIZE’s XFACTOR Award for their Project Hajar. It’s quite an honor. Our center is privileged to share in their success,” said John Northington, director of the NCCC. “The goal of the NCCC is to provide technology developers with the infrastructure, industrial environment and technical support to harden their technologies for commercialization. Project Hajar is a great example of Aircapture leveraging their experience at NCCC to achieve rapid deployment.”
A winning approach
The NCCC is a world leader in carbon management innovation. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the center advances cutting-edge carbon capture, conversion and removal technologies through direct collaboration with innovators. Managed and operated by Southern Company, the NCCC has provided more than 160,000 hours of real-world testing for carbon management innovators from the U.S. and seven other countries. The center’s research scope includes carbon capture for fossil generation and industrial processes, carbon conversion and technology-enhanced carbon management solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.