BAE Watch

CCU International: Carbon Capture and Refinement Technology Provider

Seed

GreenTech & Energy

❓ Business Model

Carbon Capture and refinement technology provider
Build and sell carbon capture technology to industry emitters

📈 Traction

Parliamentary motion passed in Scottish Parliament for contribution to UK net zero goals
Won a 6-figure contract to provide capture technology on a global consortium of companies (including Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson Matthey and others). A world first and backed by UK government.
Deployed capture technology to a biomass plant in Hong Kong, capturing CO2 and utilising the CO2 into the cement curing process promoting a circular carbon economy (first of its kind in Asia).
Won 12 regional, national and global awards in 24 months including iChemE Awards for Global Chemical Engineering Excellence & Barclays Entrepreneur Awards

🌱Founding Team

Beena Sharma (CEO & Co-Founder)
- Ex Oil and Gas - lived in remote parts of the world!
- Psychology Background

Francis Doherty (CFO & Co-Founder)
- Worked on Environmental Technologies in the Middle East for 15 years
- Qualified accountant - Worked in receiverships for a decade

Peter Styring (Chief Innovation Advisor)
- Part of the GB - Ski team
- Associate fellow in the understanding of politics

📖 Story

CCU International was set up to commercialise carbon capture and refinement technology that had undergone over 12 years of Research & Design at the University of Sheffield. Unlike existing solutions, the technology was designed to have a small footprint, be modular, scalable and not use any hazardous substances as well as have the ability to refine the captured carbon to any grade, making it suitable for any industry use or storage.

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👀 Reasons to watch

The size and cost of existing solutions means many industry emitters are unable to adopt carbon capture which in many cases is the only route to achieving net zero. CCU International's technology has a small footprint, is modular, easily scalable, energy efficient, cost effective and does not use any hazardous substance.
Most carbon capture technologies involve a chemical process (usually hazardous and harmful to the environment) meaning it does not fall foul to Environment Agency regulations unlike conventional technology. The CCU International technology involves a physical process (physics) making it safe and easy to scale and adopt - making it truly next generation.
As well as the ability to capture, CCU International's technology can purify or refine the captured carbon to any grade, making it suitable for both utilisation and storage. Partnering with downstream technologies, CCU International have the ability to utilise the carbon into value-added products such as construction material or e-fuels in order to remove reliance on virgin fossil carbon. CCU International are taking what has traditionally been a cost exercise and generating multiple revenue streams for emitters.
CCU International are a University of Sheffield spinout. There commercialisation journey started 2 years ago and have achieved in less that 2 years what many of their competitors have not yet achieved in 15 plus years! And all this whilst bootstrapping!

➕Further reading

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