Inside Elementaita’s Carbon Capture Revolution Turning Air Into Underground Storage

Kenyan experts have built machines that directly capture carbon dioxide for permanent removal and utilisation

An active geothermal exploration site in Elementaita.

Within the quiet landscape of Elementaita, a pioneering climate innovation project is taking shape.

Carbon dioxide is being captured from the air and stored thousands of metres underground in one of Kenya’s most ambitious clean energy experiments.

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The work is unfolding in the Sleeping Warrior Special Economic Zone, where young Kenyan experts are deploying advanced technology to address the growing climate crisis driven by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, widely identified by scientists as a major contributor to global warming and extreme weather patterns.

At the centre of the initiative is Octavia Carbon, Africa’s first direct air capture company, which is developing machines capable of extracting carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.

Specioserb Mutheu of Octavia Carbon said the systems, fabricated in Nairobi’s Eastlands area, can each capture as much as 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, with plans underway to scale up deployment.

A team of 75 Kenyan professionals is involved in the project, which leverages geothermal energy and geology to support carbon removal.

Air is drawn into a module containing a chemical filter that traps carbon dioxide while allowing other gases to pass through. The captured gas is then released using geothermal steam, purified and compressed into liquid form.

The processed carbon dioxide is transferred to Cella, a partner storage company nearby, where it is injected into deep volcanic rock formations.

The Rift Valley’s basaltic geology enables a natural mineralisation process that permanently locks carbon dioxide underground, preventing its return to the atmosphere.

Mutheu said each tonne of carbon dioxide permanently removed generates one carbon credit.

She said while the technology is still being refined, it is being developed with commercial viability in mind, including potential future applications in sustainable aviation fuel production and industrial carbon utilisation.

Cella Minerals project manager Anastasia Wanjohi said the company receives carbon dioxide in liquid form before adjusting its temperature and pressure for injection. The gas is then stored in wells drilled to depths of about 850 metres, where it is safely contained within geological formations.

Physicist Wanjohi said the project is currently in its pilot phase, with expansion expected as more injection capacity is developed. She said the western section of the concession area is particularly suitable due to its rich basaltic rock formations.

Basalt is a dark, fine-grained igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava at the Earth’s surface. It makes up more than 90 per cent of all volcanic rocks on Earth.

The initiative is closely linked to broader geothermal development in the area.

Mumbi Geothermal Energy project engineer Sichei Chemwotei said drilling of exploration well JN01 is underway, targeting depths of as much as 1,200 metres to generate about three megawatts of energy. The power will supply enterprises within the special economic zone, including carbon capture facilities.

Chemwotei said the geothermal system will provide both thermal energy used in carbon capture processes and electrical power for companies operating within the zone. Three wells have already been identified, with drilling expected to take around 60 days using local expertise.

On May 17, the Mumbi Geothermal Well, Octavia Carbon’s direct air capture plant, Cella Carbon and Sirona Origin hosted African parliamentarians on a site visit. The lawmakers called for improved access to global climate finance and stronger legal protections for African-led climate innovations.

The visit followed the Inter-Parliamentary Union Regional Seminar on Methane in Nairobi, where leaders stressed that methane reduction efforts must not undermine pastoral livelihoods and urged developed nations to fulfil climate finance commitments, including the Loss and Damage Fund.

Kenya Parliamentary Climate Caucus chairman Senator Moses Kajwang' highlighted the need for climate justice, warning that Africa’s transition must be supported with fair financing mechanisms.

As Kenya positions itself within the emerging global carbon removal industry, the Elementaita project signals both the promise and complexity of scaling high-tech climate solutions on the continent.