Wärtsilä ups investment in CO2 capture technology

Wärtsilä has invested a further €1 million in Soletair Power Oy, a Finnish CO2 direct air capture technology company.

This follows Wärtsilä’s original € 500 000 investment in Soletair Power made in 2019. Soletair Power has developed a solution for capturing the carbon dioxide from air in buildings that can be used when creating synthetic renewable fuel. This latest investment enables Soletair Power to further its global sales efforts and to scale up the manufacturing of its CO2 capture solution for building ventilation. The investment enhances Wärtsilä’s position at the forefront of decarbonization technology, and the capture and utilization development of CO2, the company said. In addition to producing synthetic renewable fuels, the carbon captured from air can be used for various purposes and industry applications, such as in the food industry.

An additional investment by Wärtsilä enables Soletair Power to further its global sales efforts and to scale up the manufacturing of its CO2 capture solution, the companies said.

The direct air capture of CO2 is an essential element of the world’s efforts towards decarbonization. Soletair Power’s technology is the first in the world with building integration, which opens a unique business case with several value streams. Capturing CO2 from in-house air allows occupants to perform better, which is applicable especially in schools and workplaces. The solution also turns buildings into carbon sinks that support cities going carbon neutral. Soletair Power’s technology represents the new era of circular economy in the form of carbon utilization.

“One of the cornerstones of Wärtsilä’s Smart Energy vision is to collaborate with strategic partners, such as cutting-edge technology companies, research institutes and start-ups, to accelerate innovation and promote the commercialization of new and exciting solutions,” said Matti Rautkivi, director, New Business at Wärtsilä Energy.

“By supporting new businesses that can create a leap forward towards decarbonizing our world, we are endorsing the commitment the company has made to sustainability and the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. Soletair Power has already demonstrated how the captured CO2 can be turned into synthetic renewable fuels, and there are many other interesting applications under development in different industries for its utilization.”

Wärtsilä is a technology leader in the development of systems and solutions that promote decarbonization in the energy and marine markets. Wärtsilä, together with Soletair Power and Q Power, a Finnish company specializing in synthetic fuel technologies, developed the first demonstration unit producing synthetic methane from captured CO2 in 2020.