Ambitious MIT spin-off seeks to extract carbon from the atmosphere on a grand scale
Startup Noya Accelerates Direct-Air Carbon Removal with Innovative Technology
Startup Noya, founded by Josh Santos, is making strides in the field of direct-air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) with its low-power, modular system. The innovative technology addresses critical challenges in the DACCS market, contributing significantly to the expansion of carbon removal capacity and the achievement of net-zero emissions targets.
Noya's system consists of an activated carbon monolith and a proprietary chemical feedstock that binds to carbon in the air. This unique design reduces the substantial energy typically required to separate CO2 from air, improving overall lifecycle emissions and economic feasibility.
The modular nature of Noya's technology allows for flexible deployment and easier scaling of carbon capture capacity. Each modular unit, about the size of a solar panel, removes approximately 60 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year. This design is crucial given current infrastructure limitations for transporting and storing captured carbon.
Josh Santos, inspired by a four-day development workshop at MIT, is committed to using his privilege to improve the world. He views carbon removal as a waste management problem and believes regulations should be in place that require polluters to clean up their waste emissions, similar to how trash is currently handled.
Noya is currently testing its experimental module to optimise its design, with plans to launch its first testing facility in 2024. This facility, expected to remove about 350 tons of CO2 per year, will be followed by larger facilities with the goal of each removing about 3 million tons of carbon annually.
The United Nations has emphasised the importance of carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere in addition to reducing emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Santos believes the carbon removal market can scale without government mandates, but he also sees increasing government and public support for carbon removal technologies.
Noya has already secured millions of dollars in presales from organisations including Shopify, Watershed, and a university endowment. The company is using third-party auditors to verify the amount of carbon dioxide captured and is selling carbon credits to help organisations reach net-zero emissions targets.
In response to the Inflation Reduction Act, Noya has pivoted its direct-air carbon removal system, aiming to create massive facilities that can capture millions of tons of CO2. The company plans to power its system with renewable energy and build facilities near injection wells for carbon storage.
Josh Santos' personal experience with the effects of climate change growing up in the southeastern U.S., as he witnessed the increasing intensity of hurricanes and the destruction they caused, further fuels his commitment to combating climate change.
Noya's innovative, energy-efficient, and scalable technology is a promising step towards achieving net-zero emissions commitments by complementing emission reductions with durable carbon sequestration.
- Josh Santos, inspired by a workshop at MIT, is using Noya's innovative technology to address challenges in the direct-air carbon capture and storage market.
- Noya's unique design, involving an activated carbon monolith and proprietary chemical feedstock, reduces the energy typically required to separate CO2 from air.
- Noya's modular system allows for flexible deployment and scalable carbon capture capacity, with each unit removing approximately 60 tons of CO2 per year.
- Santos views carbon removal as a waste management problem and suggests regulations that require polluters to clean up their waste emissions.
- In 2024, Noya will launch its first testing facility, expected to remove about 350 tons of CO2 per year, followed by larger facilities removing millions of tons annually.
- The United Nations emphasizes the importance of carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
- Noya has already secured presales from organizations like Shopify, Watershed, and a university endowment, selling carbon credits to help organizations reach net-zero emissions targets.
- In response to the Inflation Reduction Act, Noya aims to create massive facilities that can capture millions of tons of CO2, powered by renewable energy and situated near injection wells for carbon storage.
- Santos' personal experiences with climate change growing up in the southeastern U.S. fuel his commitment to combating climate change and mitigating its effects.
- Noya's technology complements emission reductions with durable carbon sequestration, moving society closer to net-zero emissions commitments.
- Graduate students and professors in environmental science and engineering labs, as well as undergraduate students, can further research carbon capture technologies in society and help startups like Noya accomplish their goals.
