In the scrublands of central Kenya, near the volcanic landscapes of the Great Rift Valley, a pioneering climate-tech initiative is unfolding. Octavia Carbon, a Nairobi-based startup, is using Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC)—powered by abundant geothermal energy—to chemically extract CO₂ from the atmosphere. Each prototype machine captures approximately 10 tonnes of CO₂ per year—equivalent to the carbon absorption of 1,000 mature trees.
By harnessing steam heated by the Earth’s crust, the startup runs its carbon filters efficiently and economically. The captured CO₂ is either stored in basalt rock formations underground or packaged and sold as high-integrity carbon credits to businesses and governments looking to offset emissions.
Despite these promising early results, Octavia Carbon’s co-founder, Martin Freimüller, acknowledges the global challenge ahead:
“What we currently do is a drop in the ocean. But scaling from 1,000 tons to a billion tons still starts with 1,000 tons.”
The journey ahead is significant. According to recent studies, 7 to 9 billion tonnes of CO₂ must be removed from the atmosphere annually by mid-century to keep global warming within 1.5 °C.
Looking forward, Octavia Carbon plans to expand dramatically—with a 1,000-ton-per-year facility expected to be operational next year. Partnering with U.S.-based Cella Mineral Storage, Kenya could become the second country after Iceland to store air-captured CO₂ amounts underground. The company has already secured approximately $3 million in carbon credit contracts, covering nearly 40% of its plant’s planned capacity.
While environmental groups such as Greenpeace express concern that carbon capture can serve as a “greenwashing” tool for fossil fuel interests, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes that carbon capture remains a necessary strategy—especially for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like steel and cement.
With this innovation, Kenya is not merely responding to climate change—it’s leading the way with a home-grown, scalable climate solution designed for global impact.
