World's first CO₂ filter gigafactory can offset emissions from 27 million cars yearly

Yahoo

22-05-2025

The world's first carbon filter gigafactory is here.
Svante Technologies has officially launched operations at the Redwood Manufacturing Facility in Burnaby, British Columbia — the world's first gigafactory built to churn out commercial-scale carbon capture filters.
These filters are designed for heavy-emitting sectors like pulp and paper, waste-to-energy, cement, steel, and fossil fuels.
Spanning 141,000 square feet, the new Centre of Excellence mass-produces solid sorbent filters that trap CO₂ directly from industrial smokestacks and the air — a global first at this scale.
The filters are Svante's own patented structured design, coated with metal-organic frameworks (MOF), an advanced material that boosts carbon capture efficiency and scalability.
With the capacity to capture up to 10 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, which equals the emissions of more than 27 million cars, Redwood marks a defining moment in carbon management.
By blending high-volume automation with standardized manufacturing, The Svante hopes to dramatically reduce the cost of capturing carbon at scale.
"Today, we are making history. This gigafactory is a critical step forward in building the infrastructure necessary to scale up the carbon management industry and to build a marketplace for physical CO2,' Svante President & CEO Claude Letourneau said in a press release.
'This first-of-a-kind manufacturing facility is a demonstration of what's possible when technology and climate ambition align to lend nature a hand in managing global CO2 emissions."
The Vancouver-headquartered firm is initially targeting biogenic carbon removal (CDR) sectors such as pulp and paper, ethanol production, and waste-to-energy, where flue gases have higher CO₂ concentrations and lower capture costs, making CDR credit generation more feasible.
But it has its task cut out. Tackling emissions from cement, steel, and fossil fuel industries poses a challenge, but Svante is ready to scale that mountain, thanks to the newly opened gigafactory.
"We're also proud to launch this transformative manufacturing facility in Canada, which allows us to bring the supply chain to our shores and bring carbon management solutions closer to the needs of emitting industries in North America," Letourneau said.
Backed by a 145 million USD investment and a powerhouse lineup of strategic partners — including Chevron New Energies, Temasek, M&G, Canada Growth Fund, United Airlines Ventures, Samsung, and GE Vernova — Redwood is just the beginning. Svante expects to build more such gigafactories in the coming decade to meet soaring global demand for carbon management.
Svante's tech is already powering key pilot projects, including installations at Chevron's Kern River facility in California. The Vancouver-based firm is also demonstrating effective carbon capture at Lafarge's Richmond Cement Plant in British Columbia as part of its CO₂MENT collaboration with Lafarge Holcim.
The company also supplies filters to Climeworks, whose Gen 3 direct air capture tech reportedly halves energy costs and doubles carbon capture capacity.
With its pioneering approach and global-scale ambitions, Svante is setting a new standard for engineered carbon removal.
The Redwood facility not only boosts confidence among investors, customers, and partners, it also signals that Svante is ready to deliver carbon capture at true commercial scale.