Cella
Bigger Picture
The latest IPCC re-emphasises the unavoidable role of carbon removal to limit warming to 1.5°C. Direct air capture (DAC) and bioenergy with carbon capture storage (BECCS) emerge as two of the most scalable technologies for high-quality carbon removal. But they only represent half of the equation: scaling them requires a parallel increase in permanent carbon storage. Despite a global potential capacity of thousands of billions of tonnes, only 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ from DAC are stored today, and the development of durable storage lags behind the proliferating capture technologies.
The Problem
The number of emerging direct air capture companies is increasing and yet there are few geological storage companies for carbon removal. The industry is facing a dilemma: without enough storage infrastructure, DAC will struggle to scale, however without enough captured CO₂, there is limited incentive to build out the capital-intensive infrastructure for transport and storage. Existing carbon storage capacity is geographically limited, often used for enhancing oil recovery, and requires long-term monitoring costs to ensure safety.
Why Cella?
Building much needed geological storage
Cella pioneers a unique approach to storing CO2 through rapid mineralisation in basaltic formations at large scale.
Supercharging basalt
The porous and reactive nature of basalt makes it perfect for permanently trapping CO2 in a mineral form. Cella injects CO2 that is captured from the atmosphere or hard-to-abate sectors into underground basalts, where it accelerates a natural process of mineralization that results in permanent CO2 removal. Cella’s unique injection techniques optimise for scaling CO2 mineralization by significantly increasing CO2 storage efficiency, translating to lower costs and environmental impacts, and opening up new geological contexts for carbon storage.
Sustainable and socially responsible
With a circular process reusing saline wastewater for CO2 injection, Cella prioritises resource optimization, and are gathering and engaging local communities and indigenous groups to address social and ethical concerns.
Prime location for DAC innovation
Cella’s initial deployment location in the East African Rift Valley combines ideal basaltic geology with abundant geothermal resources, creating the opportunity for a new DAC+ mineralization hub–the first in the global South.
Stellar team
Combining extensive experience on-the-ground with world-leading scientific expertise in basalt carbon storage, the Cella team is well-equipped to credibly move swiftly in Kenya, the US and beyond.
