Origen Power

Cover Block

Name	Origen Power
Tagline	Developing limestone-based direct air capture (DAC) and carbon-negative technologies for gigaton-scale CO2 removal.
Headquarters	Walsall, United Kingdom
Founded	2013 [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026]
Stage	Series A
Business Model	Other (Hardware/Technology Developer)
Industry	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology	Hardware
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Solo Founder
Funding Label	Series A (total disclosed ~$13,000,000)

Links

• Website: https://www.origencarbon.com
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/origen-power-04146b141

Executive Summary

Origen Power is a UK-based developer of limestone-based direct air capture technology, positioning itself as a capital-efficient contender in the race to scale gigaton carbon removal. Founded in 2013 by geoengineer Tim Kruger, the company leverages the natural chemistry of abundant limestone to absorb CO₂ from ambient air, a process it claims can be powered flexibly to avoid the high energy costs that challenge other DAC approaches [Origen Carbon, January 2025].

Kruger, who also leads a climate research group at the University of Oxford, has built the company around a dual-purpose technology stack that integrates carbon removal with lime production and energy generation, a model designed to create multiple revenue streams from industrial decarbonization [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] [NPR, January 2018]. The recent $13 million Series A round, led by Barclays Climate Ventures with participation from Shell Ventures and others, signals institutional validation and provides capital to advance key demonstration projects [PR Newswire, January 2025].

Over the next 12-18 months, the primary signal to watch will be the operational performance and commercial offtake for its two flagship projects: a 1,000-tonne-per-year demonstration with the Energy & Environmental Research Center in North Dakota and the engineering phase of the planned 50,000-tonne-per-year Pelican Gulf Coast facility [Origen Carbon, September 2024] [S&P Global, January 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core company claims, funding, and project announcements are confirmed by primary press releases and third-party reporting.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Series A
Business Model	Other
Industry / Vertical	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology Type	Hardware
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Solo Founder
Funding	Series A (total disclosed ~$13,000,000)

How the Company Got Here

Origen Power Ltd was incorporated in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2013, with its registered office in Walsall [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026]. The company's founding story is anchored in the academic and entrepreneurial pursuits of Tim Kruger, who has served as founder and chief scientist since inception and concurrently leads a research group at the University of Oxford focused on greenhouse gas removal technologies [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] [NPR, January 2018].

The company's trajectory over the past decade has been defined by incremental technological development and strategic project wins, culminating in a significant capital infusion. Key milestones include the 2016 assignment of a patent for a carbon-negative fuel cell energy generation process [Google Patents US20160181639A1, June 2016] and the receipt of a £249,000 UK government grant for an Oxy-Fuelled Flash Calciner project [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026]. More recent progress is marked by the 2024 agreement to launch the engineering phase for the Pelican Gulf Coast Carbon Removal DAC project, targeting 50,000 tonnes of annual removal [Origen Carbon, September 2024], and the 2025 deployment of its first zero-emission lime platform in North Dakota [S&P Global, January 2026]. The January 2025 announcement of a $13 million Series A round, led by Barclays Climate Ventures, represents a pivotal financial milestone intended to fund the scaling of its core limestone-based DAC technology [PR Newswire, January 2025].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Company registration and key milestones confirmed by primary government and company sources.

Product and Technology

Origen Power’s commercial proposition rests on a single, integrated hardware system designed to perform three distinct functions: generate power, produce industrial lime, and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The company’s press materials describe this as a “carbon negative fuel cell based technology” [BusinessGreen, retrieved 2026]. The core of the system is a proprietary kiln that uses a process called flash calcination to heat limestone, a naturally abundant mineral. This heating drives off CO₂ from the limestone, producing quicklime (CaO) [Origen Carbon, January 2025]. The released, high-purity CO₂ stream is then captured for sequestration or utilization, while the quicklime can be sold as a commodity or used in the company’s direct air capture loop.

For direct air capture, the quicklime is hydrated to create slaked lime (Ca(OH)₂), which is then exposed to ambient air in a contactor unit. The slaked lime chemically reacts with CO₂ in the air, re-forming limestone and completing the cycle [Origen Carbon, September 2024]. This limestone can be fed back into the kiln, creating a continuous loop. The company emphasizes that its kiln technology is “fuel flexible,” capable of being powered by renewable energy or other available fuels to manage operating costs and grid intermittency [Origen Carbon, January 2025] [RSC, October 2025]. A key intellectual property asset is a patent for a carbon-negative energy generation process that oxidizes carbon monoxide in a fuel cell [Google Patents US20160181639A1, June 2016].

Public deployment data points to a focus on pilot and demonstration projects to validate the technology stack at meaningful scale. The company has deployed and tested its first “zero-emission lime platform” at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota [S&P Global, January 2026]. A separate, larger demonstration project at the same site, aiming for 1,000 tonnes of carbon removal per year, began construction with an expected operational date in 2025 [Origen Carbon, retrieved 2026]. The most advanced commercial agreement announced is the engineering phase for the Pelican Gulf Coast Carbon Removal project, which is designed to remove up to 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually [Origen Carbon, September 2024]. The company has also received a £249,000 grant from the UK government for an Oxy-Fuelled Flash Calciner Project, indicating ongoing R&D to refine the core calcination process [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core technology claims are confirmed by company press releases, patent filings, and third-party news reports on deployments.

Where the Demand Sits

The market for durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is being defined by a widening gap between corporate net-zero pledges and the limited supply of verifiable, permanent removal credits, creating a near-term opportunity for scalable, capital-intensive solutions. The market for high-quality, engineered CDR is projected to require gigaton-scale capacity by mid-century to meet climate goals, with near-term demand driven by voluntary corporate commitments and emerging compliance markets [S&P Global, January 2026]. The cited research positions Origen's technology as targeting this gigaton-scale removal need, with applications across heavy industrial sectors like steel, lime, and oil and gas [TheCompanyCheck, retrieved 2026].

Demand tailwinds are structural. The maturation of carbon credit marketplaces and procurement platforms, such as Frontier and NextGen, has created a visible demand signal and a pathway to offtake for pre-commercial technologies. Concurrently, regulatory frameworks, including the UK's Carbon Capture, Usage and Demonstration (CCUD) program and the US 45Q tax credit, are beginning to provide direct financial support for deployment [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026].

Market Segment	Cited Scale / Context
Engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal	Gigaton-scale capacity required by 2050
Target Industrial Applications	Sugar, lime, steel, oil & gas, sequestration

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing relies on analogous reports for the broader CDR sector; specific application segments are cited from a single corporate profile.

Competitive Landscape

Origen Power enters a direct air capture market defined by competing technological pathways and business models, where its limestone-based chemistry and integrated energy generation attempt to carve out a cost and scalability niche.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Origen Power	Limestone-based DAC and carbon-negative fuel cell for integrated lime production and power.	Series A, $13M (2025)	Proprietary kiln and fuel-flexible process using abundant limestone feedstock.
Climeworks	Solid sorbent DAC focusing on high-purity CO₂ for storage and utilization.	Later stage, >$800M raised.	First commercial DAC plant (Orca), extensive offtake agreements and brand recognition.
Heirloom Carbon Technologies	Accelerated weathering using limestone-derived minerals to capture CO₂.	Series B, raised $53M (2023).	Leverages natural mineral carbonation, aims for ultra-low cost via thermal integration.
Charm Industrial	Pyrolysis of biomass to produce bio-oil for underground injection.	Series B, raised $100M (2023).	Converts agricultural waste into stable carbon sink, not an air capture technology.

Competition in carbon removal is segmented by capture method and end-product. In high-temperature solid sorbent DAC, Climeworks and Carbon Engineering (now part of Occidental) are the scaled incumbents. In the mineral-based segment, Heirloom is a direct competitor to Origen, also using limestone but focusing on accelerated weathering of minerals spread on land, rather than an integrated kiln process. Origen's stated wedge is its integrated system that produces lime and potentially power as co-products, aiming to create revenue streams beyond carbon credits alone [BusinessGreen, retrieved 2026].

The company's defensible edge today rests on its proprietary kiln technology and the fuel flexibility of its process, which it claims avoids the short-term energy challenges of other DAC systems [Origen Carbon, January 2025]. This is coupled with a foundational patent for a carbon-negative fuel cell process [Google Patents US20160181639A1, June 2016] and non-dilutive grant funding [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026]. The durability of this edge is not yet proven at commercial scale. It depends on successfully demonstrating the promised cost reductions and operational reliability of its integrated platform, particularly at the 1,000-tonne demonstration project with the Energy & Environmental Research Center [Origen Carbon, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor data is aggregated from public funding announcements and company descriptions; Origen's differentiation claims are sourced from its own materials and one trade publication.

Opportunity

If Origen Power's limestone-based direct air capture technology proves scalable and cost-effective, the company could become a foundational infrastructure provider for industrial decarbonization, unlocking a multi-billion-dollar addressable market in carbon removal and low-carbon industrial inputs.

The headline opportunity is for Origen to establish itself as the default provider of integrated, carbon-negative industrial processes, not merely a standalone DAC vendor. The company's core technology, a carbon-negative fuel cell system that generates power while producing lime and capturing CO₂, represents a multi-product wedge [BusinessGreen, retrieved 2026]. This integration directly addresses the cost and energy challenges that have historically constrained pure-play DAC approaches. The recent $13 million Series A round, led by Barclays Climate Ventures and including Shell Ventures, signals that sophisticated climate capital sees a plausible path to commercializing this integrated model [PR Newswire, January 2025].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst
Industrial Co-location Standard	Origen's kilns become the preferred on-site solution for lime, steel, and oil & gas producers to decarbonize operations and generate carbon credits.	A first-of-its-kind commercial agreement with a major industrial partner, like the engineering phase announced for the Pelican Gulf Coast project [Origen Carbon, September 2024].
Carbon Removal Utility	Origen builds and operates large-scale DAC farms, selling high-durability carbon removal credits as a wholesale supplier to corporate and governmental buyers.	Securing a dedicated offtake agreement for the full capacity of a multi-100,000 tonne per year facility.
Licensing & IP Platform	Origen monetizes its patented carbon-negative fuel cell and calciner technology through licensing agreements with global engineering and construction firms.	Granting a license to a major player like a Shell or a Fluor to deploy the technology in specific regions or verticals.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity analysis based on company claims, funded projects, and investor participation; market comparables are from published reports.

Sources

1. [GOV.UK, retrieved 2026] ORIGEN POWER LTD overview | https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08580554
2. [Origen Carbon, January 2025] Origen secures $13 million Series A to deploy limestone-based direct air capture technology | https://www.origencarbon.com/news/origen-series-a/
3. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Tim Kruger | https://linkedin.com/in/tim-kruger-4357bab
4. [NPR, January 2018] Tim Kruger: How Do We Slow Climate Change Before It's... | https://www.npr.org/2018/01/12/577435746/tim-kruger-how-do-we-slow-climate-change-before-its-too-late
5. [PR Newswire, January 2025] Origen secures $13 million Series A to deploy limestone-based direct air capture technology | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/origen-secures-13-million-series-a-to-deploy-limestone-based-direct-air-capture-technology-302352613.html
6. [BusinessGreen, retrieved 2026] Origen Power | https://www.businessgreen.com/profile/3073175/origen-power
7. [Google Patents US20160181639A1, June 2016] Energy generation process comprising the oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon dioxide in a fuel cell | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160181639A1/en
8. [RSC, October 2025] Origen Carbon indicates that its kiln technology is powered via renewable energy or can be flexible to the fuel that powers it | https://www.rsc.org/news-events/articles/2025/oct/origen-carbon-kiln-technology/
9. [S&P Global, January 2026] Origen deploys first zero-emission lime platform, exceeding targets | https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/fertilizers/012626-origen-deploys-first-zero-emission-lime-platform-exceeding-targets
10. [Origen Carbon, retrieved 2026] Origen and the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) kicked off construction of a large-scale carbon removal demonstration project in Grand Forks | https://www.origencarbon.com/
11. [Origen Carbon, September 2024] Origen signed an agreement to launch the engineering phase of the Pelican Gulf Coast Carbon Removal Direct Air Capture project | https://www.origencarbon.com/
12. [TheCompanyCheck, retrieved 2026] Origen Power Ltd. company profile | https://www.thecompanycheck.com/company/b/origen-power/j6vdo36h4ps6cfb4e
13. [Craft.co, retrieved 2026] Origen company profile | https://craft.co/origen
14. [Crunchbase] Climeworks, Heirloom Carbon Technologies, Charm Industrial company profiles | https://www.crunchbase.com/
15. [Bloomberg, April 2022] Climeworks valuation report | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-12/climeworks-is-said-to-seek-funding-at-1-billion-valuation