Deep Sky Alpha
Supporting the growth of Direct Air Capture in Canada
3 March 2026
Deep Sky Alpha is Canada’s first facility to successfully capture and permanently sequester CO2 in sedimentary storage and the world’s first cross-technology direct air capture (DAC) platform, located in Alberta. Designed as a technology-agnostic commercialization hub, the facility enables multiple DAC technologies to operate side by side under real-world conditions.
Powered by renewable solar energy, Deep Sky Alpha minimizes operational emissions and supports carbon-negative operation by ensuring that more CO2 is removed from the atmosphere than is generated during the capture and processing lifecycle. At full capacity, the facility is designed to remove up to 3,000 tons of CO2 per year and can host up to 10 DAC systems, helping accelerate the commercialization of scalable, low-energy carbon removal technologies.
Client objective
Deep Sky’s objective was to create a single, integrated facility capable of evaluating, scaling, and commercializing multiple DAC technologies while ensuring that all captured CO2 could be safely purified, liquefied, and permanently stored.
To achieve this, Deep Sky required a centralized, technology-agnostic CO2 processing system that could serve as the final intake and processing stage for all current and future DAC units at the site. The solution needed to accommodate varying CO2 stream characteristics, meet regulatory requirements for permanent sequestration, operate efficiently with a compact footprint, and remain flexible enough to integrate new DAC technologies as the platform expands.
Challenge
The Deep Sky Alpha project required integrating multiple DAC technologies with different operating profiles into a single downstream CO2 handling system, while maintaining energy efficiency and regulatory compliance for permanent underground storage.
Result
Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Nikkiso CE&IG) delivered the centralized CO2 purification and liquefaction system that serves as the final processing stage for all captured CO2 produced at Deep Sky Alpha. The system processes the combined output from every DAC unit at the facility regardless of capture technology and is designed to seamlessly accommodate future DAC systems as they are deployed. Nikkiso CE&IG’s scope included complete CO2 purification and liquefaction systems, integrated compressors, filtration, piping, control cabinets, and automation, all packaged in a compact, containerized
configuration optimized for efficient deployment and replication.
Following 18 months of engineering, manufacturing, and installation, Deep Sky Alpha was successfully commissioned and is now fully operational as of August 2025. The project demonstrates how proven cryogenic and gas-processing expertise can enable the industrialization of carbon removal and establishes a scalable blueprint for future DAC and CCS facilities.
Commercial operation date
August 2025
Balance-of-plant system
Operates as low as
85%
CO2 purity
Equipment and service provided
Our systems and technologies are engineered to align with the project’s operational goals while demonstrating our ability to deliver complete, high performance carbon capture solutions that support long term sustainability objectives.
Project details
The system enables the efficient liquefaction of captured CO2, which is then transported and injected approximately two kilometers underground into deep saline aquifers for safe and permanent storage, supporting reliable and scalable carbon removal.
