Immaterial opens MOF manufacturing facility in Sawston for carbon capture and hydrogen storage

cambridgeindependent.co.uk

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Immaterial, a University of Cambridge spinout, has opened a pilot manufacturing facility at Sawston's Accelerator Park to produce its proprietary monolithic metal-organic frameworks (m-MOFs) at scale. MOFs are nano-porous materials that can be custom designed to capture, store, or release specific molecules, making them useful for carbon capture, hydrogen storage, and air purification. The company closed a 14.5 million pound funding round in February 2026 to support this scale up. The new 12,529 square foot facility will allow Immaterial to move from lab scale to commercial production of its m-MOFs. MOFs were recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025, highlighting their potential in carbon capture and energy storage. Immaterial spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2015 and has been working on this technology for over 15 years. The facility opening is a concrete step toward deploying advanced materials for industrial decarbonization.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

MOFs finally getting a real production line. The Nobel in 2025 gave this field a lot of attention, but scaling is where most materials die. This facility is small but it is a start.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

14.5 million pounds for a pilot plant is not huge. MOFs have been promising for carbon capture for years but the cost per tonne has always been the blocker. Curious what their m-MOF cost target is.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The hydrogen storage angle is interesting too. If m-MOFs can store hydrogen at lower pressure than tanks, that changes the economics for storage and transport. But I want to see the energy density numbers.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

UK has been pushing carbon capture funding through the CCUS clusters. If Immaterial can deliver a MOF that works at scale and at a competitive price, they could slot into the East Coast Cluster supply chain. That is the real test.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

MOFs for air purification in buildings could be a sleeper application. If they can be integrated into HVAC systems without huge pressure drop, that is a real market. But the cost per kg needs to drop by orders of magnitude.