Carbon Removal Steps Out of the Lab and Into Alberta

A new Alberta facility begins full operations, pushing carbon removal beyond pilots and into daily, real world use

2 Feb 2026

Carbon removal, long discussed in climate strategies but rarely deployed, is beginning to move into routine operation in Canada. Deep Sky has started running its Alpha facility in central Alberta, one of the first sites in North America designed to extract carbon dioxide directly from the air and store it permanently underground.

The significance of Alpha lies less in the novelty of its technology than in its purpose. Unlike many previous projects, which focused on short-term pilots or demonstrations, the facility is built for continuous use. The company says credibility in carbon removal will depend on systems that operate every day and can prove they are durable, reliable and cost-effective over time.

The launch marks a shift for an industry dominated by forecasts and models. Deep Sky’s executives argue that only real-world operation can show whether direct air capture can justify its place in national climate plans. Alpha is intended to generate data on performance and costs, rather than theoretical potential.

The site is designed to host several capture technologies at once, allowing different approaches to be tested side by side under the same conditions. Partners including Airbus and DACMA are using the facility to validate their systems, sharing infrastructure and reducing risk while accelerating learning. The company says this approach should help identify which technologies are capable of scaling and which are not.

Alberta was chosen in part because of its experience with carbon storage. The province has spent decades injecting carbon dioxide underground and has developed a regulatory framework that treats emissions management as an industrial activity. As Canada’s carbon pricing system evolves, interest is growing in removal credits that permanently store emissions rather than simply reducing output. Alpha is starting operations as early demand for such credits begins to emerge.

Significant challenges remain. Direct air capture requires large amounts of energy, and buyers for high-quality removal credits are still limited. Some critics warn that moving ahead without clear standards could expose investors to financial risk. Supporters respond that these questions can only be resolved by projects that are already operating.

By shifting carbon removal from concept to daily practice, Alpha is testing whether the sector can move beyond promise. Its performance is likely to be closely watched by policymakers and investors assessing what role, if any, the technology should play in future climate strategies.