The º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s largest biochar carbon removal plant will open in Wiltshire later this month, it has been announced.
The £24m facility is owned by Pure DC, a London-based developer and operator of data centres, and will be based on a brownfield industrial site at Royal Wootton Bassett.
Once up and running, the plant will produce 11,500 tonnes of biochar - a form of charcoal made from organic matter that captures carbon - every year.
Biochar can be used in agriculture, construction and water treatment - and locks carbon back into the ground for hundreds of years.
It is understood the facility will help remove up to 18,500 tonnes of carbon each year, or the equivalent to the annual emissions of almost 6,000 British homes.
The facility will be run by clean tech firm A Healthier Earth, a subsidiary of Pure DC, and its opening will create new green technology jobs and other specialist training opportunities.
Production is expected to start later this month, with subsequent phased investments subject to planning and permitting approvals.
Energy minister Michael Shanks said: “This investment is an excellent example of industry stepping up to pioneer innovative climate solutions.
“Greenhouse gas removal technologies, including biochar, will play an important role in us meeting our net zero ambitions, helping industry to decarbonise whilst delivering economic opportunities such as the new, high-quality jobs in Wiltshire that this facility will create.â€
The facility will meet European Biochar Certificate (EBC) standards with excess heat from production generating electricity to help power the site.
Big tech firms, such as Microsoft and Meta, will also be able to buy carbon removal credits from the facility to offset AI-driven emissions - and help meet sustainability targets.
Kanishka Narayan, minister for AI and online safety, said: “This investment in Wiltshire shows how companies are turning to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ to help shift the dial - deploying carbon removal technology to deliver cleaner, greener innovations.
“It shows how AI leadership and a climate-conscious approach to innovation aren't competing ideals, but two sides of the same coin.â€
Dame Dawn Childs, chief executive of Pure DC, added: “In biochar we’ve hit a sweet spot in being able to support the sustainability requirements of our hyperscale customers; further differentiating our platform; and having expertise and production capabilities in a fast-growing complementary market where demand far outstrips supply.
“Leading tech firms are already contracting millions of tonnes of biochar annually. By building this capability, Pure DC is well placed to meet that demand."
