This Is CDR is an ongoing series of online events to explore the range of carbon dioxide removal solutions that are currently in development. Last week, we introduced the Carbon Removal Leadership Act, OpenAir’s most ambitious policy project to date. This week, we’re back on the R&D side of things with Josh Santos, CEO of Noya. Noya aims to collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by retrofitting existing commercial cooling towers for direct air capture.
If you live in a big city, once you start looking for cooling towers, you’ll notice them everywhere. There are two million in the US alone, usually located on top of large buildings. Cooling towers pull in ambient air and run it over a stream of water. Coincidentally, this is almost the exact setup you need for direct-air carbon capture. Noya adds carbon-capturing components to these cooling towers without disrupting their original purpose.
In the world of commercial real estate, sustainability managers are struggling to get their buildings to true net-zero in emissions, which means Noya has an attractive place in the market. Without much invasive renovation, they can upgrade a building’s existing equipment to substantially reduce its carbon footprint.
Not surprisingly, Noya already has a 150-building waitlist, as well as support from a number of major tech accelerators and funds. But their work has just begun. If you’re a chemical engineer or a logistics and operations expert who wants to get involved in carbon removal – or if you work with a carbon-sequestration company interested in partnering with Noya – get in touch! You can find out more about Noya at their website, and you can as always check back next week for more This is CDR.You’ll find the whole series on our resources page.
