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While many companies have made progress capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, storing – or better still eliminating – millions of tonnes of it cheaply and safely remains a challenge.
Named after the molecular weight of carbon dioxide, 44.01 removes CO2 permanently by mineralising it in peridotite, a rock found in abundance in Oman as well as in America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.
Peridotite mineralisation is a natural process, but in nature it can take many years to mineralise even a small amount of CO2. 44.01 accelerates the process by pumping carbonated water into seams of peridotite deep underground.
Unlike carbon ‘storage’, which involves burying CO2 underground in disused oil-wells or aquifers, mineralisation removes CO2 forever. This means there is no requirement for long-term monitoring or insurance, and ultimately makes the process more cost-effective, scalable and safer.
44.01’s first project will mineralise 1,000 tonnes of locally-captured CO2 every year until 2024. The company aims soon to expand its operations internationally, enabling local mineralisation without requiring costly CO2 transportation. 44.01’s goal is to have mineralised 1bn tonnes of CO2 by 2040.
As the world transitions to clean forms of energy, 44.01 is also providing new employment to engineers and geologists working in the fossil fuel industry. Given Oman has the largest concentration of peridotite in the world, carbon mineralisation could also be a boon for workers in the region. By seeking to solve global problems, 44.01 will solve local ones too.
Since winning The Earthshot Prize in 2022, 44.01 have already made significant progress, expanding their research and partnerships.
With The Earthshot Prize money, 44.01 has made advancements in its R&D work including work to scale their technology. They are currently working on a range of tests and experiments, both in the lab and field, to bring the costs of the mineralisation process down further. Some of The Earthshot Prize money has been used to expedite the delivery of the company’s first project in the UAE, where they successfully completed the world’s first peridotite mineralisation injection using seawater.
In early 2023, 44.01 expanded into the UAE with a pilot project that will permanently mineralise carbon dioxide within rock formations found in the Emirate of Fujairah. This is the first ever carbon capture and mineralisation project in the UAE. They have since announced plans to build a new project in Oman. The project in the Al Hajar mountains, will be a significant increase in scale, and an important step on the journey to deploying the technology internationally.
44.01 has now grown to more than 50 people around the world. The UAE project will see a significant increase in the overall volume of CO2 mineralised by the company.
Arup, in a pro-bono project worth $30,000, is helping 44.01 design new R&D facilities. The Earthshot Prize has also helped 44.01 engage potential new customers. The company expects these leads to come to fruition as its technology is scaled up internationally. 44.01 has also seen an increase in awareness and recognition, which has helped it engage with policymakers around the world.
Download our 2024 Impact Report and dive into the details of what our global community has achieved to date.
