Kenyan Start-up Aims to Lead in Global Carbon Capture Efforts

Edited By : Aminatta Diallo

In the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley, a local start-up is pioneering the use of Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) technology to fight climate change—by pulling carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.

Octavia Carbon, based in the Kikopey area of Naivasha, is developing innovative machines that use geothermal steam to extract CO₂ from the air through a chemical process. This carbon is then stored underground, with the aim of generating carbon credits that can be traded by companies and governments looking to offset their emissions.

Kenya generates nearly half of its electricity from geothermal sources, making it one of the best-positioned countries globally for deploying DACC technology, which requires large amounts of energy. The country also benefits from a skilled workforce thanks to investments in universal education.

Each of Octavia’s prototype machines can capture about 10 tons of CO₂ annually—equivalent to the carbon absorption of approximately 1,000 trees. The company plans to scale up, with a 1,000-ton capacity facility expected to be operational next year.

Experts warn that 7 to 9 billion tons of CO₂ need to be removed annually by mid-century to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5°C. While current DACC output is small, Octavia’s co-founder Martin Freimüller argues that “scaling from 1,000 tons to a billion starts with the first 1,000.”

Critics, including Greenpeace, argue that carbon capture is being used by fossil fuel companies as a form of greenwashing to avoid reducing emissions. However, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change maintains that carbon capture will be essential for reducing residual emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as cement and steel.

Octavia has partnered with Cella Mineral Storage, a U.S.-based company, positioning Kenya to become the second country after Iceland to inject air-captured CO₂ underground. Octavia has already pre-sold about $3 million worth of carbon credits, covering roughly 40% of its future plant’s capacity.

“We often see Africa as a victim of climate change,” said Freimüller, referencing the continent’s growing vulnerability to climate-related disasters. “But Africa can also be part of the solution—through technology made and developed in Kenya, for the world.”