The world needs direct air capture (DAC) to scale rapidly over the coming decades. The IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 scenario calls for 85 million tonnes of CO₂ to be removed annually by 2030, rising to almost a billion tonnes by mid-century. That means we need more than promising lab-based models — we need systems on the ground, delivering real-world operational success now.
Yet, building brand new climate technology at speed is not straightforward. Every deployment has to balance cost, efficiency, and sustainability, while navigating supply chains and adapting to local environments and regulations. Our early success depends as much on smart design philosophies and resilient delivery strategies as it does on chemistry and engineering innovation.
In this article, we go behind the scenes to show exactly how a Mission Zero system comes together. Using our latest project with carbon removal partner Deep Sky in Canada as an example, we’ll walk through each stage — from design, to delivery, installation, commissioning, and operation. Along the way, we’ll show how our modular platform approach, creative engineering, and fast iteration cycles are helping us lead the market in speed of deployment, and why that matters for scaling climate impact.
Our core philosophies for deploying DAC
At Mission Zero, we firmly believe that deployment unlocks affordability and innovation. Our approach and decision making is guided by the need to get DAC operational on the ground as quickly and easily as possible for our customers. It’s what has enabled us to increase the CO₂ capture capacity of our solutions fivefold and reduce costs by 60% in the space of two years.
Our core design principles have made this rapid deployment possible — enabling us to quickly demonstrate three different market applications of our solutions since 2023, across aviation, construction, and carbon dioxide removal.
Our core design philosophies are:
1. Platform design for repeatability
A platform approach means refining a set of core components that remain consistent across each generation of our technology. Because the fundamentals don’t change, our designs are predictable, lower-risk, and can be deployed quickly and efficiently. Those common foundations span the full process — from the air contactors and water-based solvent that extract CO₂ from the air, to the electrodialysis stacks that regenerate a stream of high-purity CO₂ ready for sustainable use or removal.
💡Brush up on how direct air capture works and explore each stage of our electrochemical process in depth.
2. Taking a modular approach
On a component level, our DAC units are designed like building blocks; simple to repeat and easy to connect. This modularity makes manufacturing, delivery, and installation fast and cost-effective. Just as importantly, it lowers redundancy risk for our customers allowing components to be swapped or upgraded in future to harness our new R&D breakthroughs, enabling efficiency and levelised cost gains across a system’s lifetime.
3. Working with what already exists
Instead of developing novel materials and components, our systems leverage mature ones that have been proven in industry for decades and are supported by established global supply chains. Aside from allowing us to deploy in almost any location, this allows our solutions to achieve high manufacturing readiness levels (MRL) and technological readiness levels (TRL) quickly.
4. Keeping it simple
We’ve focused on designs which allow us to integrate efficiently into customers’ existing processes without any complex requirements or cumbersome byproducts. Straightforward installation is bolstered by our focus on simple utilities — electricity and water being the only input requirements. Starting with smaller deployments has also allowed us to gather real-world insights and learnings faster, which we feed straight into each iteration of our technology.
This approach has enabled us to develop a rich database of performance data spanning multiple industrial applications to test, learn, iterate, and optimise quickly. This coupled with the experience gained from deploying our solutions multiple times across diverse climates and industries has enabled us to diversify our supply chain to ensure partnerships that can scale with us at speed. Every system teaches us something new, and those lessons shape each future design — helping us deliver faster, smarter, and more reliable solutions which build early financial confidence.
From design to delivery: What it takes to build a direct air capture system
Every direct air capture solution we build follows a clear, step-by-step process. Behind each stage lies a story of applied knowledge, hard-earned lessons, and insights gained from real-world testing. We combine practical problem-solving with insights from our diverse team — bringing experience across chemicals, water, robotics, automotive, and more — to create systems that are repeatable and reliable.
Using our third system at Deep Sky’s direct air capture project in Canada as a reference, here’s what the DAC creation journey looks like.
Research and development (R&D)
It all starts with innovation. Our team of talented scientists are in the lab every day refining the components that make our systems reliable and efficient. The roots of our R&D journey stretch back to the UK’s first direct air capture plant, and with two systems already operational, our third deployment could build on a solid foundation of knowledge — making this stage faster and more focused.
Our novel electrochemical process offers one of the lowest carbon footprints and highest energy efficiencies amongst direct air capture technologies. Being heat free, it avoids the need for thermal energy inputs and can run entirely on renewable energy. Designed for intermittent loads, it offers users the unique benefit of adjusting electricity consumption to renewable energy price and availability — delivering cost-optimal performance and opening opportunities to leverage curtailed energy.
Key learnings: Taking our technology international for the first time brought new challenges. At Deep Sky’s Alberta site, colder temperatures and different environmental conditions prompted further research, helping us optimise performance and develop systems which can operate across a wide range of climates.
Design
The design of our third system drew on everything we’d learned from our previous deployments. While the CO₂ captured in Canada will be stored underground, the system itself is very similar to our first deployment at the University of Sheffield, pioneering jet fuel made from air. Because the size and scope were comparable, we could move quickly through design and engineering. Some adjustments were needed to meet Canadian regulations, but our modular approach made it easy to adapt our technology to a brand new location.
Key learnings: Designing the Deep Sky system whilst our UK DAC deployments were underway meant efficiency and streamlined processes were key. During the design phase, we integrated major upgrades to our air contactors, boosting their capacity to process around 34,000 litres of air per second. At the same time, we ensured the system met strict requirements for CO₂ pressure, purity, and output, suitable for underground storage.
Delivery
Getting our system’s components to Alberta was more than just shipping parts. Our team managed a carefully coordinated schedule, ensuring every piece of hardware — from the electrodialysis stack to the air contactors — arrived safely and on time.
Key learnings: Delivering a system overseas for the first time highlighted the importance of a well-planned supplier strategy aligned with local regulations. Close partnerships with local suppliers proved invaluable, showing that international deployments can be executed efficiently without compromising quality or reliability. Coordinating these arrangements remotely for a new market meant that some components arrived well before others, and the adoption of key strategies learnt from our previous deployments meant everything could be safely stored until the time for installation came.
Installation
This is the moment that months of planning are put to the test. An onsite team assembles all system components, turning what started as ideas in the lab into an impressive carbon-busting machine. Drains, valves, and our electrodialysis stack are connected — every piece has its place.
Key learnings: Local partners played a crucial role in bringing the system to life. All steelwork, including the structural platform, staircases, and handrails — built to give operators safe and easy access to our DAC unit — were produced by a local Albertan fabrication specialist. We deliberately prioritise partnerships that support the local economy wherever possible. Aside from validating local supply chains and supporting local jobs, this reduces the embodied carbon of projects by minimising transportation-related emissions.
Commissioning
Commissioning is where everything gets put through its paces. Every piece of equipment is tested to make sure the system runs safely and within specification. We take a staggered approach: starting with dry commissioning, where we check instruments, sensors, and connections without any fluids; then moving to wet commissioning, where water and chemicals are introduced, leaks are checked, and the system begins to behave as it will in operation. Along the way, safety systems are tested, including shut-down protocols if alarms are triggered.
Key learnings: From resolving small hitches to running safety tests, commissioning is about making sure the system can perform safely and consistently. By catching and fixing issues early, commissioning helps avoid costly fixes later and creates confidence things will run smoothly from the get go.
Operation
With commissioning complete, the system shifts into continuous operation. For Deep Sky, that means a steady and reliable supply of atmospheric CO₂ — the point where design, delivery, and testing come together to deliver real value. While the first months of running a new system naturally bring a few wrinkles to iron out, each adjustment feeds directly into making our technology stronger for future deployments.
Key learnings: This deployment marks an important milestone: proof that direct air capture can integrate seamlessly with carbon storage infrastructure. Together, they create a pathway for carbon removal that’s not only scalable, but also durable and easy to measure — exactly what’s needed to deliver real climate impact.
Delivering a new climate technology at scale
From research and design, to delivery, installation, commissioning, and continuous operation, every stage of our process reflects our core principles: platform design, modularity, leveraging proven tech, and keeping things simple. These philosophies allow us to continuously improve our systems, all while providing confidence in performance and long-term value.
As our first international deployment, our system with Deep Sky proves the exportability of our model for scaling direct air capture, as well as the skill and expertise already established within our team to successfully deploy DAC to serve multiple markets.
As we continue to deploy and refine our technology across industries and continents, each project builds on the last — generating insights and learnings, reducing risk, and demonstrating the sheer scale of industrial value that direct air capture is ready to unlock.
