Carbon Clean Expands into Calgary, Fueling Canadian Growth Ambitions

Carbon Clean, a trailblazer in the field of carbon capture solutions, has announced the establishment of its new country headquarters in Calgary, marking a significant step in its strategic expansion into Canada. The company aims to meet the growing demand for its innovative CycloneCC modular technology by expanding its workforce throughout 2024.

Specializing in cost-effective industrial carbon capture solutions, Carbon Clean serves key hard-to-abate industries such as oil & gas, cement, and steel. With operations spanning 49 sites globally and having captured over 2.1 million tons of CO2, Carbon Clean boasts one of the largest project portfolios among independent carbon capture businesses. The company has been active in Canada for the past three years, with notable investors including Calgary-based TC Energy.

Aniruddha Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, commented on the expansion: “Canada’s recent initiatives to incentivize investment in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) have positioned it as a prime market for industrial carbon capture projects. The heightened focus from Canadian policymakers and business leaders on decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries has driven our decision to set up in Calgary and initiated numerous high-level discussions with companies across various sectors aiming for rapid net zero transitions.

“Recent legislation to incentivize investment in CCUS will significantly advance Canada’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. I commend Canadian lawmakers for their increased focus on decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, which are responsible for 30% of global emissions. Importantly, Canada is matching the U.S. in providing incentives to drive investment in new, low-carbon technologies. This announcement underscores Canada’s commitment to leading the way in CCUS by adopting policies that encourage upfront private investment prior to the flow of government funding.

Sharma has been at the helm of Carbon Clean since its founding in 2009, driving the commercialization of groundbreaking carbon capture and reuse technologies. Under his leadership, the company has expanded operations to the UK, US, Germany, and India, and has been recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and listed in the Cleantech100 by the Cleantech Group. Sharma has guided the company through multiple funding rounds with support from the UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and the US Department of Energy. 

Sharma collaborates closely with the UK’s Trade & Investment (UKTI) body as part of the Global Entrepreneur Program, aiding international entrepreneurs and early-stage tech businesses in their UK development. Additionally, Sharma holds two patents as a co-inventor and is a visiting fellow at Imperial College London. Actively engaged in the climate change discourse for over seven years, 

Sharma participated in COP15 in Copenhagen and has championed carbon capture for reuse applications at forums like the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2016 meeting and the Cleantech Forum 2016 in San Francisco. He has also spoken at IIT Kharagpur TEDx. Sharma earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s (Hons.) degrees in Statistics and Informatics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

The 2023 Fall Economic Statement by Canadian lawmakers introduced a program to finance investment tax credits for CCUS. Alongside this, the federal government is offering carbon contracts for difference through the Canada Growth Fund and maintaining a robust carbon pricing system. These measures are part of a national strategy to meet emission reduction targets and decarbonize hard-to-abate industries, which account for 30% of global emissions.

Calgary was chosen for Carbon Clean’s Canadian headquarters due to its emerging role as a hub for decarbonization efforts and its ambitious net-zero targets. The Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program (ACCIP), launched in November 2023, further fosters a supportive environment for industrial carbon capture demand.

Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, Carbon Clean opened its US headquarters in Houston, Texas, and subsequently doubled its global workforce to 145 employees.