About Us
Carbon Collect is focused on developing scalable and affordable solutions for removing carbon dioxide directly from the air. The company builds on over 30 years of research led by Professor Klaus Lackner at Arizona State University. Carbon Collect holds the exclusive global rights to the key ASU–Lackner patents, which define the design and passive contacting principle of the MechanicalTree™, the world’s first truly passive system for capturing CO₂. This means the system relies on natural wind to deliver air to the sorbent material, making the process energy-efficient and cost-effective.
The Gen-I system, installed in 2022, proved the scientific and practical principles of passive carbon capture. The Gen-II system, deployed at the end of 2025, is currently at Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL 7), with expectations to achieve TRL 8 in 2026. This version features a fully modular design made from non-metallic, recyclable materials that are engineered for easy manufacturability, transportability, and scalability, key aspects to support global deployment.
Carbon Collect is advancing a strong portfolio of patents designed to protect innovations that enhance scalability, cost-efficiency, and transportability in the MechanicalTree™ system. These include unique developments in sorbent disk modularity, regeneration processes, and system architecture.Carbon Collect’s IP strategy is positioning the company to lead the rapidly growing DAC market while ensuring a cost-effective and manufacturable pathway for large-scale CO₂ capture.
At the heart of Carbon Collect’s development is artificial intelligence. By using deep reinforcement learning and data-driven control, future generations of the MechanicalTree™ will be able to self-optimize, continuously improving efficiency and driving cost reductions as we scale globally.
Our Journey
Carbon Collect was established to commercialize Professor Klaus Lackner’s pioneering concept for passive Direct Air Capture.
Start of Operations (2020) – Carbon Collect initiated independent engineering design and system development, moving beyond the original Lackner moisture-swing concept. The team created the world’s first passive, low-temperature thermal-vacuum swing system for Direct Air Capture (DAC), establishing the foundation for a deployable, industrial-scale technology.
DOE Award: SAPDAC Program (2021) – The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Carbon Collect funding under the Spatiotemporal Adaptive Passive Direct Air Capture (SAPDAC) program (Award No. DE-FOA-0002402). The three year thirty person project evaluated the performance of passive DAC systems under varying climatic and geographic conditions, advancing design adaptations for scalable, real-world deployment.
First MechanicalTree™ Deployed (2022, Gen-I, TRL 6) – The world’s first passive DAC unit demonstrated full atmospheric capture and thermal regeneration in a field environment, validating the design at Technology Readiness Level 6.
Gen-II Launch (2024) – Incorporating a composite regeneration chamber and recyclable sorbent disks, Gen-II validated manufacturability, transportability, and energy-efficient operation.
TRL 8 (2025) – With ongoing field deployment and performance validation, Carbon Collect’s MechanicalTree™ technology will achieve Technology Readiness Level 8 before year end 2025.
Gen-III Development (2025) – A Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) program nearing completion defines the 18-unit cluster configuration designed for steady-state CO₂ output and commercial readiness. The system integrates heat-recovery and liquefaction modules, establishing the platform for scalable, continuous carbon removal and product utilisation from 2026.
DOE-Supported Deployment: Southwest Regional DAC Hub – Carbon Collect is an anchor technology consortium member in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Southwest Regional Direct Air Capture Hub, led by Arizona State University, supporting large-scale DAC cluster deployment and integration with CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure.
Next Phase – Gen-IV “Smart DAC” – Under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Regional DAC Hubs Program, Carbon Collect is advancing the next generation of the MechanicalTree™ through a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study scheduled for completion in September 2026. Development is underway to integrate advanced sorbent systems, AI-driven process optimisation, and expanded manufacturing capability for global rollout.
Technology & Impact
The MechanicalTree™ represents a new generation of Direct Air Capture (DAC), engineered to make large-scale carbon removal practical, affordable, and elegantly simple. Designed for continuous operation, it captures CO₂ directly from ambient air without the energy-intensive fans or blowers used in other DAC systems, operating quietly and passively compared to active alternatives.
Its patented modular design combines recyclable, lightweight disk assemblies with a low-temperature thermal regeneration process, allowing operation at the lowest temperature range of any DAC technology. Every element of the system has been created for mass manufacturing, ease of transport, and global scalability, delivering a practical pathway toward gigaton-scale deployment.
The company’s Gen-II MechanicalTree™, now operational in Tempe, Arizona, has been supported through multiple U.S. Department of Energy programs, including SAPDAC and the Southwest Regional DAC Hub. This system validates a platform that can serve diverse applications, from clean fuels and building materials to agriculture, food, and industrial CO₂ use, as well as sequestration for permanent disposal at scale, replacing fossil-derived CO₂ and reducing transport emissions.
Quiet, durable, and modular by design, the MechanicalTree™ turns atmospheric carbon into a new industrial feedstock — a breakthrough in sustainable engineering that moves Direct Air Capture from concept to commercial reality.