Belgian startup Sirona Technologies has won up to €9.1 million from the EU Innovation Fund for Project Furu, a direct air capture and storage facility in Norway. The project takes CO₂ already in the atmosphere, liquefies it, and sends it to the Northern Lights storage network under the North Sea. Sirona builds its capture units in shipping containers in Brussels, which lets the company add capacity without redesigning the whole plant. First units are expected to start in 2027. Project Furu is the first DAC project backed by the Innovation Fund. Sirona plans to eventually remove over 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The EU has also proposed buying 250 million tonnes of CO₂ removal between 2031 and 2040, though that plan still needs approval from Parliament and Council. If it moves forward, it could create a real market for permanent carbon removal in Europe.
