Category: Company News

“We recognized early that carbon removal is a critical part of achieving net zero, not a last resort. For it to scale at the pace required, we believe it’s important to engage early and help accelerate promising technologies.”

Scaling carbon removal to meet the climate challenge requires more than innovation—it requires deep cross-industry collaboration. At Captura, we’re building partnerships with organizations that share our vision and bring the complementary expertise needed to make progress happen.

One of those partners is Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), a global leader in shipping and logistics. MOL was the first company to sign a large-volume offtake agreement for Captura’s Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology, purchasing 30,000 t-CO₂e carbon removal credits. The company also invested in Captura through its venture arm, MOL Switch, and entered a strategic partnership to explore deployment of commercial DOC plants.

We recently caught up with Yoshikazu Hirose, General Manager of Carbon Removal Team at MOL, to discuss why the company views DOC as a promising pathway for carbon removal and how it fits within MOL’s broader decarbonization vision. Here’s what he shared with us.

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What are some of the biggest challenges the shipping industry faces in meeting its climate and decarbonization targets today?
Shipping is the most carbon-efficient way to move goods, with far fewer emissions per ton-mile than trucks or planes. But because more than 80% of global trade travels by sea, the sector still accounts for about 2–3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

So, decarbonizing the sector is a major task, and it is uniquely challenging for a number of reasons. For one, it’s a capital-intensive business built on long-lived vessels, which means fleets can’t be replaced overnight. Operations span the globe, so securing reliable fuel supply, infrastructure and regulation everywhere is complex. Also, many low-carbon fuel pathways are still in their infancy, with availability, safety standards, costs and policy alignment still developing.

MOL has made significant commitments to decarbonize, with a net-zero emissions target for 2050 and a robust roadmap to get there. What are some of the key strategies you’re pursuing to reach those goals?
At MOL, our approach to decarbonization is multi-layered. First, we are pushing hard on efficiency through improved hull designs, clean energy adoption, wind assist technologies and operational improvements. Second, we must shift to cleaner fuel. MOL is exploring alternative fuels like e-methane, e-methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, biofuels, and hybrid or dual-fuel systems. Third, because some emissions remain unavoidable, we need to deploy carbon removal to address residual emissions. That is why we see engineered removal technologies like DOC as a necessary complement to emissions reductions.

That’s why we’ve partnered with innovative carbon removal companies like Captura and joined initiatives like the Japanese CDR Coalition, which brings together companies committed to scaling credible removal solutions. By combining innovation, collaboration, and measurable progress, we believe we can reach our 2050 target and help lead the maritime industry toward a net-zero future.

You were the first company to sign a major offtake agreement for Captura’s DOC carbon removal — what gave you the confidence to move first and at this scale?
We recognized early that carbon removal is a critical part of achieving net zero, not a last resort. For it to scale at the pace required, we believe it’s important to engage early and help accelerate promising technologies. When evaluating Captura’s technology, we saw a technically robust and highly scalable solution that builds on the ocean’s natural carbon cycle—something that resonates strongly with our maritime expertise. We were also impressed by the rigorous validation and scale-up demonstrated through Captura’s pilot program. Together, these factors gave us the confidence to move first and form a partnership that supports both our decarbonization goals and the broader advancement of DOC carbon removal.

In addition to the offtake, MOL has also invested in Captura and signed an MOU to explore deploying DOC plants. How does this technology align with MOL’s broader business, and how does it complement other decarbonization approaches in shipping?
Captura’s DOC technology is a natural fit within our decarbonization strategy. It’s a flexible solution that can deliver both carbon removal and e-fuel production by combining high-purity captured CO₂ with clean hydrogen, potentially supporting multiple decarbonization pathways in our net zero roadmap.

We also see strong synergies with our shipping operations. For example, there’s potential to repurpose end-of-life large vessels as floating DOC platforms, creating new value from declining assets while advancing our 2050 net-zero goals. It’s an approach that fits squarely with our long-term commitment to innovation and sustainability.

From your perspective, what makes DOC a particularly compelling carbon removal solution?
We see DOC as a scientifically robust and scalable approach to carbon removal. It leverages the ocean’s vast, natural capacity to absorb carbon without introducing new materials or chemical additives, making it both efficient and environmentally responsible. The technology can also integrate into the broader carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) ecosystem, creating opportunities for shared logistics, infrastructure, and synthetic fuel production. For a global maritime company like MOL, that compatibility across value chains is especially valuable.

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Industry leader brings extensive experience in infrastructure and energy transformation

PASADENA, Calif., September 4, 2025 – Captura, a leader in Direct Ocean Capture technology for carbon dioxide removal, today announced the appointment of Johan Pfeiffer to its Board of Directors.

“We are delighted to welcome Johan to Captura’s board at such a pivotal moment in our growth,” said Bernard David, Board Chair of Captura. “His appointment expands the depth and capability of our board, bringing highly relevant expertise in infrastructure investment, energy services, and global operations. With Series B fundraising underway and commercialization on the horizon, Johan’s experience will be invaluable in helping to guide our strategy and accelerate our progress.”

Johan Pfeiffer brings more than 30 years of global infrastructure and energy experience to Captura’s board. He currently serves as managing director and lead operating partner at Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, an investment platform with approximately $17 billion in assets under management since inception, where he oversees the value creation of the portfolio companies as well as serving on several boards.

Pfeiffer’s extensive background includes senior leadership positions at Johnson Controls, where he served as president for Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and more than 20 years at FMC Technologies, where he held various global general management roles and helped transform the company into a leader in the oil and gas services and equipment sector. Earlier in his career, Pfeiffer held positions at Boston Consulting Group and Dow Inc.

“From my first introduction to Captura, I was struck by both the strength of its technology and the credibility of its world-class team and partners,” said Pfeiffer. “Having worked across global energy and infrastructure markets for decades, I see tremendous potential for this approach to make a material impact on the climate and energy challenge.

“I look forward to working alongside the board and leadership team to help accelerate commercialization and global deployment of the technology and the solution.”

Pfeiffer has also served on the boards of Hoegh Evi, Eureka Midstream, the Awty International School, and the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association.

Captura’s Direct Ocean Capture technology leverages the ocean’s natural carbon removal capabilities to extract CO₂ from seawater, creating capacity for the ocean to absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere. The company’s process is designed to be highly scalable and cost-effective while creating minimal impact on ocean ecosystems.

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Scaling carbon removal to meet the climate challenge requires more than innovation—it requires deep cross-industry collaboration. At Captura, we’re building partnerships with organizations that share our vision and bring the complementary expertise needed to make progress happen.

Equinor has been one of those key partners from the start. From leading our Series A funding, to co-developing our 1,000-ton-per-year pilot plant, and expanding our collaboration through a long-term agreement, their support has been instrumental in our journey.

We recently caught up with Lionel Ribeiro, Carbon Removal Manager at Equinor, to hear what first sparked their interest in Captura and how the partnership has evolved. Here’s what he shared with us.

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What first stood out to Equinor about Captura’s Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology and approach?
At Equinor, we continuously assess and invest in emerging carbon removal technologies, and Captura’s approach impressed us with its scientific rigor, cost efficiency, and scalability. Unlike other methods that require extensive infrastructure or expensive feedstocks, Captura’s DOC process extracts CO₂ directly from seawater without using chemicals and without generating waste, making it both technically and environmentally compelling. The high-purity CO₂ produced is easily monitored, ensuring transparent removal accounting.

Captura’s technology aligns with Equinor’s expertise in CO₂ management, renewable electricity generation, and water processing, making it a natural fit for investment and collaboration.

How does Captura’s technology align with Equinor’s broader climate and sustainability goals?
Equinor is committed to advancing the energy transition and achieving net-zero emissions (scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2050. Our strategy includes exploring scalable, high-integrity decarbonization technologies that complement our business and support climate goals.

We are working with our partners to develop technologies and value chains for emissions removed from the atmosphere and geologically stored. Our Northern Lights project will serve as Europe’s first facility for storage of biogenic CO₂ emissions from 2027. In 2024, Equinor was one of the largest buyers of Carbon Dioxide Removal credits. We have taken positions in BECCS, direct air capture, and direct ocean capture (Captura), as well as bio-diversity restoration and will continue to explore opportunities.

Captura’s technology is able to integrate with existing energy infrastructure and broader decarbonization technologies, like CO₂ transport, storage, and utilization, reinforcing its potential as a piece of the net-zero puzzle.

What gave Equinor confidence in Captura’s ability to scale this technology successfully?
Our evaluation process looks not only at the technology, but also at the team behind it and their ability to execute. With Captura, we saw a technically sound solution, supported by deep expertise and a clear vision for deployment. We were impressed by their multidisciplinary expertise across electrochemistry, engineering, and oceanography, and by their collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset.

Captura’s iterative R&D approach and commitment to field testing instilled confidence in their disciplined and transparent scaling capabilities. Over the past two years, our joint technology qualification program has advanced and de-risked the technology through established test plans and milestones. Additionally, Captura’s ability to attract a diverse coalition of strategic partners further underscores its scaling potential.

Captura and Equinor recently partnered on a 1,000-ton-per-year DOC pilot plant in Hawaii, which has been operational since February 2025. Can you tell us more about the partnership and how our teams worked together?
From the beginning, Captura and Equinor shared a clear objective: to advance DOC technology and demonstrate its commercial viability while upholding the highest safety standards.

This led to a highly collaborative process that leveraged our strengths and shared vision for commercial-scale carbon removal. Rather than working in silos, our teams have worked closely and adopted a unified “one team” mindset to address technical challenges and enhance operational efficiency.

The result was the successful deployment of the largest operational DOC facility, completed rapidly and safely in just over two months. This speed highlights the modularity and simplicity of Captura’s system. The pilot plant serves as a stepping-stone in Captura’s technology validation roadmap, paving the way for large-scale commercial plants and exemplifying the strength of our partnership.

What excites Equinor most about the potential of DOC as a climate solution?
The potential for Captura’s DOC technology to achieve both large scale and low cost is exciting. It uniquely benefits from the vast, natural scalability of the ocean, and the industrial integration advantages of engineered systems. This dual benefit positions DOC as a compelling solution from both a cost-efficiency and deployment perspective.

We’re excited by the potential of DOC to deliver durable, measurable carbon removal at scale and by the opportunity to partner with Captura to help accelerate its path to deployment.

Simply put, Captura’s technology requires access to water processing, low-carbon power, and CO₂ value chains – requirements that align perfectly with Equinor’s strengths as a pioneer in offshore CCS technology, which dates back nearly 30 years!

Captura’s 1000 ton-per-year Direct Ocean Capture pilot plant has been operating in Kona, Hawaii since February 2025—and now you can explore it from anywhere in the world through a virtual 360° tour.

As you move through the site, you’ll see all the major components that make up our system and learn how each one plays a role in pulling CO₂ out of the ocean and atmosphere.

Developed in partnership with Equinor, the Kona pilot is the critical final step in proving Captura’s technology is ready to scale. It demonstrates our modular technology at the size and performance level that can be replicated for larger deployments. With those results in hand, we’re now designing our first commercial facility, which is targeted to capture between 30,000 and 50,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

Take a look around and see Direct Ocean Capture in action.

Creates first U.S. facility to domestically produce bipolar membranes and electrodialysis systems

PASADENA, Calif., June 10, 2025 — Captura, a leading Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) company, today announced the establishment of its new global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Pasadena, California. The 30,000-square-foot site will house the company’s growing team, expand R&D capacity, and launch commercial production of Captura’s high-performance electrodialysis technology—making this the first facility in the U.S. to manufacture complete electrodialysis systems, from membrane fabrication to stack assembly.

Founded at Caltech in 2021, Captura’s advanced electrodialysis system delivers up to 10 times higher performance than commercially available alternatives while requiring less capital investment and energy. Production of this technology will serve dual purposes: powering Captura’s DOC carbon removal systems while also being sold to a range of industries, including desalination, wastewater treatment, critical mineral extraction, new energy, life sciences, and other electrochemical carbon removal approaches. The expanded operations also position Captura to grow its workforce, generating additional skilled jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and operations.

“This new facility is a major step forward in scaling Captura’s operations and accelerating commercial deployment,” said Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura. “It also reflects our commitment to advancing homegrown technologies through American manufacturing. As the first U.S. manufacturing center for full electrodialysis systems, we’re creating local jobs, strengthening regional supply chains, and establishing domestic production capabilities for a high-demand electrochemical technology, reducing American dependence on foreign-made components.”

Captura’s proprietary electrodialysis technology—a process that uses ion-selective membranes and electrical current to separate ions in solution—significantly outperforms commercially available systems in both efficiency and cost. At the core of this advancement is Captura’s high-performance, PFAS-free bipolar membrane, which is made using polymer materials that are significantly less expensive than commercially available options. Captura has also developed an improved electrodialysis stack design that further enhances overall system performance.

“Our electrodialysis technology was born in Caltech’s Pasadena laboratories, so it’s fitting that we’re now scaling its commercial production here,” said CX Xiang, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Captura. “This facility enables us to develop, optimize, customize and manufacture our best-in-class bipolar membranes and electrodialysis stacks in-house—a vertically integrated approach that positions Captura to deliver one of, if not the, highest-performance and lowest-cost electrodialysis solutions on the market.”

Electrodialysis technology is instrumental for multiple industries including desalination, wastewater treatment, critical mineral extraction, and life sciences. Producing Captura’s advanced systems domestically can help dramatically reduce costs across these sectors and strengthen America’s position in the global technology supply chain.

Captura’s electrodialysis system also forms the basis of its DOC technology, which extracts CO₂ directly from seawater without chemical additives or waste products. This creates a measurable stream of CO₂ that can be permanently stored or utilized in a range of industrial applications, while allowing the ocean to naturally absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere.

More information on Captura’s proprietary electrodialysis technology can be found here.

• Captura is now selling carbon credits from its first commercial Direct Ocean Capture facilities, with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines signing the first large-volume offtake agreement for 30,000 tons
• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has also invested in Captura through its venture capital arm, MOL Switch LLC, and entered a strategic partnership to explore deploying commercial Captura plants

TOKYO and PASADENA, Calif., March 25, 2025 – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), a global shipping leader, has become the first company to sign a large-volume offtake agreement for the permanent removal of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere using Captura’s Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology. Under the agreement, MOL has purchased 30,000 carbon removal credits, to be delivered by one of Captura’s first commercial DOC facilities before the end of 2030. The commercial agreement will support MOL’s 2050 net zero target.

Captura’s DOC technology offers a highly scalable and efficient form of carbon removal by combining innovations in electrochemistry with the natural carbon removal capability of the world’s oceans. It works by extracting a measurable stream of CO₂ from seawater, creating capacity for the ocean to absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere. The technology has already been demonstrated in three operational pilot plants, and early design work is now underway for Captura’s first commercial facility, expected to capture 30,000-50,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

In addition to the carbon credit purchase, MOL and Captura have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enter a strategic partnership aimed at deploying commercial DOC plants. Captura’s business model is to license its technology to deployment partners who will build, own and operate large-scale DOC facilities around the world.

Furthermore, MOL Switch, MOL’s corporate venture capital firm, has invested in Captura as part of its work to support the development of new technologies and business models to decarbonize the energy sector.

Tomoaki Ichida, CEO of MOL Switch, stated, “At MOL, we are dedicated to advancing innovative decarbonization solutions that align with our sustainability goals. DOC technology offers a cost-effective and durable approach to carbon removal, and we are excited to collaborate with Captura—both by purchasing high-quality carbon credits to support our net-zero efforts and by strategically investing and partnering to help scale and deploy this high-potential technology. We see this as a crucial step in our sustainability journey and a significant business opportunity in the rapidly growing carbon removal market.”

This announcement follows the start of successful operations at Captura’s third DOC pilot plant in Hawaii, unveiled two months ago. This pilot is now operating at the rate of 1000 tons of CO₂ captured annually and marks the final step in Captura’s technology development program, building on its earlier 1-ton and 100-ton systems in California. This third pilot demonstrates Captura’s modular technology at a scale and performance level that can be repeated to build large commercial facilities.

Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura, said, “Our go-to-market strategy has always focused on proving that our technology can scale sustainably and affordably before bringing it to market. We’ve achieved this through a diligent pilot and scale-up program, successfully increasing capacity by a factor of 1,000 while meeting all key performance indicators. With the successful operations of our 1000-ton pilot, we have validated the readiness of our technology for large-scale deployment and are now actively securing offtake agreements for commercial facilities.

“This partnership and first offtake agreement with MOL marks a major milestone in bringing our technology to market. We are excited to collaborate with MOL as we rapidly advance towards commercial deployment and expand access to high-quality carbon removal solutions.”

Captura’s DOC technology also previously secured a carbon removal pre-purchase from Frontier Climate, acting on behalf of Stripe and Shopify. Signed in 2022 with a standard value of $500,000, the pre-purchase agreement supported Captura’s early technology development, with the carbon removal to be delivered from a forthcoming Captura facility.

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About Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.:
Founded in 1884, MOL is a leading company in the shipping industry that operates various social infrastructure businesses, centering on the oceangoing shipping business with a fleet of over 900 vessels. It is one of the first in the shipping industry to set a target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050, and is committed to reduce GHG emissions including involvement in Carbon Dioxide Removal industry through concerted efforts as the group.

About Captura:
Captura is a Direct Ocean Capture company headquartered in Pasadena, California. Captura combines innovative technology with the natural carbon removal powers of the ocean to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere at large scale and low-cost, providing a critical capability in the fight against climate change. Captura was founded at Caltech and its solution has been supported by the Carbon Removal XPRIZE, the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, and Frontier Climate.

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Capable of capturing 1,000 tons of CO₂ annually, the facility readies Captura’s technology for large-scale deployment

LOS ANGELES, February 6, 2025 — Captura, a California-based carbon removal company, today announced the start of operations at its latest pilot plant, capable of capturing 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually.

Located in Kona, Hawaii, and developed in partnership with multinational energy company Equinor, the facility marks a major milestone in the commercialization of Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology – a process that leverages the ocean to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere. As the third and final pilot in Captura’s technology development program, this facility readies the company’s DOC technology for deployment in large, commercial systems worldwide.

The ocean is one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, absorbing approximately 30 per cent of global CO₂ emissions. DOC technology works by extracting CO₂ directly from the upper ocean, thereby enhancing the ocean’s natural ability to absorb additional CO₂ from the atmosphere. By leveraging natural oceanic processes, requiring no feedstock, and generating no waste, the DOC approach to carbon removal offers an inherently scalable and efficient way to remove vast quantities of atmospheric CO₂.

Captura’s DOC technology achieves this by combining innovations in electrodialysis and gas extraction with widely available water and gas handling systems. These modular technologies have been successfully demonstrated at two prior pilot plants in Los Angeles, and the Hawaii pilot will now validate them at the scale and performance level that can be replicated in larger plants. Captura is proceeding with initial design work for its first large-scale commercial facility, with an expected annual capture capacity of tens of thousands of tons of CO₂.

“Captura’s journey from lab-scale testing to our third technology demonstration in just three years is a testament to the scalability of our solution,” said Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura. “This facility in Hawaii is the last milestone before we move to widespread commercial deployment of DOC technology. Its rapid installation and commissioning in just over two months demonstrates how our simple, modular design is ready to be scaled quickly to help address the urgent climate and energy challenge.”

DOC is a flexible technology that can serve a variety of climate and industrial use cases. The CO₂ extracted at DOC facilities is delivered as a measurable stream of pipeline-purity CO₂ gas, which can then be directly sequestered to create carbon dioxide removal, used as a feedstock to produce renewable fuels, or utilized by industries that require CO₂. In Hawaii, the CO₂ captured at the Captura plant will be provided to a range of local industries, such as aquaculture operators, to help reduce the carbon intensity of their operations.

Captura’s facility is operating at the Hawai‘i Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park, a leading ocean research facility run by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA). NELHA has administered the park in Kona for more than 50 years, generating almost $150 million annually for Hawaii’s economy and creating over 600 jobs statewide. NELHA runs a comprehensive environmental monitoring program at HOST Park, which complements Captura’s own practices and research on ocean health.

Captura’s technology is designed to be highly scalable and cost-effective while prioritizing the protection of the ocean ecosystem. The process produces zero waste or by-products and introduces nothing new into the ocean—it simply removes excess CO₂, which the atmosphere then naturally replaces.