Swiss carbon removal company Climeworks is planting roots in Alberta, establishing its Canadian headquarters at Calgary’s Energy Transition Centre (ETC) as it prepares to test and scale direct air capture technology in cold-weather conditions.
Several employees are already working from the downtown innovation hub, with additional hiring planned locally in the coming months.
Climeworks says it chose Calgary because of the province’s carbon management expertise, infrastructure, and regulatory environment — factors that have increasingly positioned Alberta as a destination for carbon capture and removal companies. The firm’s next step will be selecting a local testing site, where a mobile direct air capture facility is expected to begin operating in fall 2026 to gather real-world performance data ahead of a larger commercial plant.
“We’re excited to establish our Canadian headquarters at the ETC in Calgary,” said Colum Furey, Canada Country Director at Climeworks. “Alberta’s world-class carbon capture ecosystem, combined with a supportive policy framework, makes this a natural place for us to scale.”
He added that proximity to industry and research partners will accelerate development as the sector moves from pilot deployments toward global commercialization.
The Energy Transition Centre views the move as validation of Calgary’s growing role in energy innovation.
“Their commitment to scaling engineered solutions aligns perfectly with our mission here at the ETC to foster and accelerate energy innovation and drive the development and commercialization of transformative energy technologies,” said Nannette Ho-Covernton, Executive Director of the ETC Foundation.
Local organizations focused on carbon management echoed that sentiment. The International CCS Knowledge Centre pointed to Alberta’s incentives and expertise as key attractions for international companies, while Carbon Removal Canada described the province as emerging among the world’s most promising regions for deploying carbon removal technologies.
Climeworks’ expansion adds momentum to Canada’s developing carbon removal industry — a sector seen as both a climate tool and a potential economic growth engine. If testing proves successful, the company’s planned commercial direct air capture facility would represent another step toward scaling permanent atmospheric carbon removal in North America.