Ireland may soon host its first scaled direct air capture deployment, as Waterford-based NEG8 Carbon partners Prochem Engineering to engineer and deliver a modular DAC unit designed to capture 50 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project places engineering delivery at the centre of next-generation carbon infrastructure.

NEG8 Carbon, a Trinity College Dublin spinout, has developed an electrostatic DAC system that draws ambient air through large fans and passes it over a solid sorbent material. Through electrostatic interactions, CO₂ is captured before being released via controlled heating, enabling permanent storage underground or reuse in products such as concrete and sustainable aviation fuel.

The agreement with Kilkenny- and Cork-based Prochem Engineering moves the technology from pilot to scaled demonstration. To date, NEG8 has validated its approach with a pilot system capturing 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

The upcoming 50 t/y unit is expected to be tested later this year and is designed as a modular, plug-and-play system capable of integration into larger capture installations.

For engineering firms, the project highlights growing demand for process design, systems integration and modular manufacturing capabilities tied to carbon capture infrastructure. DAC systems require expertise spanning airflow engineering, thermal management, materials handling and control systems, positioning engineering delivery partners as critical enablers of commercial viability.

The Irish project also builds on NEG8’s wider engineering-led ambitions. Last year, the company joined a UK-based initiative focused on large-scale electro-sustainable aviation fuel production, supported by a £1 million (approximately €1.17 million) investment.

That programme aims to combine DAC-derived CO₂ with hydrogen and nuclear-generated electricity to produce eSAF, targeting lifecycle emissions reductions of around 90 per cent versus conventional jet fuel.

Discover the full technical and commercial context behind the project in the complete article.

(Photo Credits to NEG8)