UK Government Publishes Final Reports on Carbon Removal Innovation Programme

UK Unveils Carbon Removal Programme Findings

The United Kingdom government has today, January 12, 2026, published the final reports from Phase Two of its Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme. This release provides a comprehensive overview of the performance of various carbon removal technologies tested in real-world conditions, moving beyond laboratory settings. The programme, a key component of the broader Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, underscores the UK's commitment to developing technologies essential for achieving its ambitious net-zero targets.

Programme Scope and Investment

The Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme was launched in 2021 with an initial government investment of £54 million, aimed at establishing a greenhouse gas removal industry in the UK. Phase Two alone saw over £49 million in government funding allocated across 14 promising demonstration projects. These projects were part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which seeks to accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies across various sectors. When the program was launched, then Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands stated that it could 'help establish a greenhouse gas removal industry in the UK, which could be worth billions to our economy, bringing in private investment and supporting the creation of new green jobs.'

Diverse Technologies and Emerging Challenges

The reports detail the outcomes of a diverse portfolio of projects exploring different carbon removal pathways. Key technologies featured prominently include:

• Direct Air Capture (DAC): Projects such as Cambridge Carbon Capture's Direct Air CO2 Capture and Mineralisation and the Smart-DAC project investigated modular systems and alternative sorbents to bind carbon dioxide and lower energy demand. Equinor's ENCORE Phase Two project focused on liquid-based capture chemistry.
• Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Initiatives like Evero's Ince Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage project demonstrated carbon capture integrated with biomass gasification.
• Enhanced Ocean Alkalinity: The SeaCURE project tested methods to increase carbon uptake from seawater.
• Methane Emissions Reduction: The GreenShed project focused on capturing methane emissions from livestock systems, broadening the programme's scope beyond solely carbon dioxide.

While developers reported significant technical progress across these efforts, the reports consistently highlighted that cost, energy intensity, and scalability remain considerable barriers to widespread deployment.

Strategic Importance for Net Zero

The publication of these reports comes at a crucial time as carbon removal gains increasing importance in the UK's climate strategy. The Climate Change Committee has repeatedly warned that greenhouse gas removals will be indispensable for offsetting residual emissions, particularly from hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as aviation and agriculture. The UK's Net Zero Strategy sets an ambitious target to deploy at least 5 Mt CO2 per year of 'engineered' removals by 2030, with an expectation for this volume to increase significantly to between 75 and 81 Mt CO2 by 2050. The findings from this innovation programme will inform future policy and investment decisions as the UK strives to meet its legally binding net-zero commitments.