Return Carbon and Verified Carbon have unveiled Project Concho, a pioneering Direct Air Capture (DAC) hub set to be built in Tom Green County, Texas. This groundbreaking project will be the world’s first DAC facility powered entirely by wind energy, aiming to capture and permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere through advanced DAC technology and onsite geological carbon storage. In its first phase, the facility is set to remove 50,000 tons of CO₂ annually by 2030, with plans to expand to 500,000 tons per year, generating high-value, verified carbon credits for the carbon markets.
The project will be powered by a new wind farm developed and operated by Greenalia, a leading global renewable energy producer. Skytree, an industry leader in carbon removal technology, will supply the DAC units. This collaboration combines wind energy and DAC technology to offer a reliable and cost-effective energy solution, addressing challenges often faced in large-scale DAC projects.
“Project Concho is a significant step forward in scaling up DAC. This opportunity aligns perfectly with Return Carbon and Verified Carbon’s joint mission to mitigate climate change through the scalable commercialisation of new technologies in impactful infrastructure projects. We’re thrilled to make West Texas a home for this groundbreaking DAC hub and create new opportunities for the region,” said Martijn Verwoerd, Managing Director of Return Carbon.
With its state-of-the-art DAC units, Project Concho will feature Skytree’s Stratus units, designed to optimise energy use and CO₂ capture efficiency. The modular system allows for continuous scalability, ensuring long-term impact.
The project also offers significant economic benefits to the Concho Valley, providing local landowners with passive revenue streams through carbon sequestration while promoting sustainable land use practices. This initiative presents new opportunities for the region, balancing traditional land activities with environmentally sustainable projects.
“We are excited about the partnership with Project Concho and there is a vision and a framework for collaboration that our companies share. The flexibility offered by the DAC hub to optimise around energy price peaks is a game changer for renewable energy projects. It not only strengthens the business case for our wind farm under development in Texas but also contributes to adding innovative business models and alternatives for a greener energy landscape in the US,” said Alexandre Alonso, SVP of Business Development at Greenalia.
“Project Concho is a first-of-its-kind collaboration that opens the door to even more ambitious and transformative carbon removal projects. Deploying DAC at scale is necessary to drive down costs across the value chain and achieve greater impact and we are thrilled to provide the technology needed to bring Project Concho to life,” said Elena Nikonova, VP North America at Skytree.
“Project Concho brings significant benefits to the Concho Valley, providing new economic opportunities for landowners beyond traditional activities. Projects like these allow us to maintain traditional land uses while benefiting from a new income source and supporting projects that sustain both our environment and local economy,” said Coleman White, co-founder of Verified Carbon and Concho Valley landowner.