11-02-2025

Avantium to provide adsorption testing units to Climeworks

Avantium N.V., a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, announces that it has entered into an agreement with Climeworks AG, a pioneer in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. Under the agreement, Climeworks will acquire another advanced high-throughput adsorption testing unit from Avantium R&D Solutions. This strategic step aims to accelerate the large-scale deployment of DAC technology, a critical component in the fight against climate change by permanently removing carbon dioxide from the air.

With its DAC technology, Climeworks captures CO₂ directly from ambient air and stores it safely and permanently underground in Iceland with its storage partner Carbfix. Avantium R&D Solutions offers R&D solutions for high-quality testing of chemicals and materials. Together with Climeworks, Avantium has recently developed a custom-made, high-throughput adsorption testing unit for Climeworks’ DAC application that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of testing new materials for CO₂ adsorption, and which in turn is expected to lead to more cost-effective DAC systems.

Avantium’s testing unit has already proved highly beneficial. Both the sample mass and the gas consumption were reduced by a factor of 25. This is a significant cost saving when it comes to gas consumption, and it bears an advantage for R&D teams which often produce smaller amounts of sample. The design of the breakthrough analyser allows for better comparability between reactors, because all samples are measured on the same sensors sequentially. The unit has proven very reliable with an uptime of 98% throughout 2024, with only occasional downtimes being limited to everyday maintenance. Ultimately, this strengthens Climeworks in scaling up its DAC technology quality control, enabling faster development and implementation of solutions to capture CO₂ directly from the air.

"This agreement enables us to take a significant step forward in building out a testing environment of industrial quality and expanding our high-quality supplier ecosystem. Avantium's high-throughput adsorption testing unit will enhance our ability to develop and test new materials and accelerate the deployment of our DAC systems on a global scale," said Jan Wurzbacher, Co-CEO and co-founder of Climeworks.

Steven Olivier, Managing Director of Avantium R&D Solutions, commented: "We take pride in our collaboration with Climeworks, a company that mirrors our dedication to sustainability and relentless innovation. This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to addressing the urgent need for scalable climate solutions. Together, we can make a significant impact on reducing significant atmospheric CO₂ levels.”