Storegga has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC), which will support its plans to build a direct air capture project in Aberdeenshire.
The UK-based carbon capture developer is currently progressing plans for the country’s first direct air capture (DAC) facility in the north east. Using technology from Carbon Engineering, the site would be capable of permanently removing between 500,000 and 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere a year.
The facility has now been included by the EAUC as part of its approved portfolio of carbon-offsetting options.
The EAUC is a not-for-profit, member-based charity, which helps post-16 education institutions assess the different options available to decarbonise and plot a path to net zero. Its work includes overseeing the Carbon Coalition, a consortium of higher and further education institutions based in the UK and Ireland that have joined together to offset their emissions.
As part of the portfolio, members of Carbon Coalition will be able to purchase credits for the verifiable removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via Storegga’s DAC facility.
It follows news last week that Storegga has signed a separate MoU with Mitsui to advance the project.
Storegga chief executive Nick Cooper said: “It is excellent to have the EAUC endorse direct air capture. Higher education institutions now have the power to reduce their own carbon footprint and also influence the world on best practice.
“The technology sucks carbon directly out of the air, and permanently stores it, creating a reverse carbon cycle that is considered the gold standard of carbon offsetting. This previously under-appreciated technology has elbowed its way on to policy-makers agendas. The UK government is considering the necessary regulatory frameworks to make direct air capture a reality and place the UK in a world-leading position on this crucial net zero tool.”
EAUC, deputy chairman Professor John French said: “It is important for the education sector to take their carbon responsibilities seriously and with more universities and colleges setting ambitious net-zero targets we need to ensure we support UK projects that are leading on cutting edge technology.
“The community and research elements of this project are particularly welcomed as well as supporting a just transition away from fossil fuels and reskilling in heavily oil & gas-based jobs and their communities. We look forward to enhancing the Carbon Coalition portfolio with projects such as these that share our values.”
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