Village firm Carbon Removers sets £1 billion target – Daily Business

A company based in a tiny village in Dumfriesshire has set an ambitious target of becoming a £1 billion turnover business over the next ten years.

The Carbon Removers has grown from facilities in Crocketford, also known as Ninemile Bar, midway between Castle Douglas and Dumfries, and with a population of just over 300.

The company, previously known as Carbon Capture Scotland, played a vital role in the roll-out of the Covid vaccine and has developed a process of capturing carbon dioxide from biogas and the whisky industry.

Since 2012, it has captured over 80,000 tonnes of carbon, working with companies such as such as Nippon Gases, White & Mackay and Iona Capital.

South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) has announced a near-£1 million investment to help kickstart a fundraising drive which will accelerate the expansion of the business across the UK and Europe. SOSE has plans to convert a loan to an equity share in The Carbon Removers.

The Carbon Removers aims to remove one million tonnes per year by 2030 by expanding carbon sequestering projects.

Founded by brothers Ed and Richard Nimmons, The Carbon Removers is the only UK company granted a storage licence to permanently remove carbon from Denmark and the EU’s first CO2 storage facility. 

The development is seen as building on the investment by Center Parcs to reinforce the reputation of the South of Scotland as a place to do business. It comes ahead of a Scottish Parliament reception to celebrate the successes of the region’s businesses.

Russel Griggs, Chair of SOSE, said: “We have worked closely with The Carbon Removers from the beginning of their journey, which included playing a vital role in the roll-out of the Covid Pfizer vaccine.

“They have now grown and diversified into carbon removal and storage internationally – all from their original site in the tiny village of Crocketford, where they continue to be based.

“They have demonstrated that a rural location should be no barrier to innovation, and we look forward to seeing The Carbon Removers continue to grow and prosper.”

Martin Valenti, SOSE’s Director of Investment and Sustainable Enterprise, said: “We want to unlock ambition at every level – which is why we are backing The Carbon Removers team and their aim to generate £1bn per year.

“With the South of Scotland being the nation’s Natural Capital Innovation Zone, we see companies such as The Carbon Removers as vital to helping drive forward innovation and also helping attract responsible investment to benefit our region, and the rest of Scotland.”

Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is of the utmost importance to Scotland’s climate and economic transition to net zero – without it we couldn’t reduce emissions from the hardest to abate sectors including chemicals, cement and certain aspects of power generation.

“CCS uses many of the same skills as the oil and gas industry and will continue skilled employment across the supply chain.

“It’s great to see SOSE supporting a home-grown company leading the charge both here and in Europe. This will create further jobs and boost the economy both for the region and across Scotland.”