INNISFAIL - The new $50-million Deep Sky Alpha facility in Innisfail's Southwest Industrial Park is officially operational.
The announcement was made Wednesday by the Montreal-based company.
“This is a defining moment, not just for Deep Sky, but for the global carbon removal industry,” said Alex Petre, Deep Sky’s chief executive officer, in an Aug. 20 media release. “In just one year, we went from breaking ground to pulling carbon from the sky and locking it underground for good.
“Companies around the world are looking for high-quality, durable carbon removal to offset carbon footprints,” added Petre. “With Deep Sky Alpha, we’re proving that it’s not only possible, it’s here.”
The milestone builds on Deep Sky's recent $40 million grant from Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and carbon removal credit purchase agreements with buyers including Microsoft and Royal Bank of Canada, said the release.
It was over a year ago the company announced it was setting up a testing facility using multiple direct air capture (DAC) technologies on five acres of land in Innisfail’s new industrial park.
Deep Sky officials say the Alpha facility allows for “real-world operations and optimization of multiple technologies under identical conditions, accelerating the industry's path to cost-effective, scalable carbon removal.
With this milestone, Deep Sky Alpha becomes the first DAC facility in North America to sequester CO₂ underground, said the release.
“The CO₂ captured at Deep Sky Alpha is permanently stored underground in deep geological formations called saline aquifers, which are abundant in Alberta, making it a key solution for hard-to-abate emissions and net zero commitments,” said the release.
Deep Sky says captured CO₂ comes from multiple DAC units on site from all around the world – with additional units being installed this fall and room for a total of 10 units.
The Alpha facility, entirely powered by solar energy, will capture 3,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. It will then be transported to northern Alberta for underground storage.
“Alberta continues to lead the way in attracting world-class innovation and this is an example of another company that has chosen Alberta because of our skilled workforce, strong regulatory system, and commitment to responsible development,” said Rebecca Schulz, provincial minister of environment and protected areas.
The Deep Sky Alpha project has generated more than 110 construction jobs and will employ about 15 full-time operators.
The media release said monitoring of Alpha’s capture and sequestration progress will be conducted on an ongoing basis using proprietary software and be available on Deep Sky’s website at www.deepskyclimate.com.
