UK-based direct air capture (DAC) technology company Airhive announced that it has acquired Dutch DAC developer Carbyon, in an agreement aimed at creating a European DAC leader with enhanced technology capabilities and a stronger position to deploy low-cost carbon removal solutions at scale.
The companies said that the agreement comes amidst favorable regulatory environment, with DAC recently certified under the EU’s Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) framework and the UK government planning to integrate DAC-based credits into its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by 2028-2029.
Under the agreement, the combined company will operate under the Airhive name, integrating teams across the UK and the Netherlands. Early-stage research and development activities will be centered at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where the company will focus on developing Airhive’s next-generation “Cascade” technology, designed to further reduce the cost of carbon removal.
According to the companies, their DAC technologies are different but complementary. Founded as a spinout from Dutch research organization TNO, Carbyon develops direct air capture systems that remove CO2 from the atmosphere for permanent storage or utilization in products such as synthetic fuels and chemicals. The company says its DAC technology can achieve 90% sorbent saturation in approximately 100 seconds, around 200 times faster than conventional DAC solutions.
Airhive has developed a DAC system based on a fluidized-bed process commonly used in industrial applications, in which mineral sorbent particles are suspended in a fast-moving airflow to maximize contact with atmospheric CO2. The company said that its approach enables faster carbon capture rates and higher efficiency than conventional DAC systems that rely on large fans and static filters.
Hans De Neve, founder of Carbyon, said:
“The world needs DAC to work, and this combination brings together exactly what’s been missing: Airhive’s execution power and de-risked technology, paired with Carbyon’s fundamental R&D depth and expertise.”
The companies said that the enlarged Airhive will focus on both carbon utilization and carbon storage projects over the next year. This includes working with Airhive investor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to install a DAC system at a large European bottling plant, where captured CO2 will be used to produce low-carbon, food-grade carbon dioxide for beverage production. The pilot project could be expanded to additional facilities in the future, the companies added.
Airhive will also continue to co-develop the UnionDAC project, with its systems expected to provide all solid-sorbent DAC capacity at the facility. The companies said that UnionDAC is expected to reach a combined carbon removal capacity of 60,000 tons annually by 2032, exceeding any DAC plant currently in operation.
The company added that it is also exploring commercial and research partnerships across Europe and internationally, including Australia.
Rory Brown, founder and CEO of Airhive, said:
“The goal in DAC is achieving low costs at large operational scale. That requires three things: sustained technological innovation, expertise in executing projects, and a wider enabling environment of policy incentives and infrastructure. Leveraging Carbyon’s impressive R&D capabilities will accelerate innovation and help us reach that goal quicker.”
