Bespoke Britlift Frame for Pioneering Direct Air Capture Facility

Britlift is helping to solve a lifting challenge for the world’s largest direct air capture facility of its kind.

Climeworks is a global leader in carbon removal via direct air capture and storage (DAC+S). Its unique technology draws CO₂ from the air and captures it for storage underground. The Swiss company recently opened its second facility, Mammoth, based in Iceland. It installed a 35t capacity overhead crane inside Mammoth in order to move its proprietary filtration systems called collector containers. However, it needed a bespoke lifting frame to ensure that the valuable loads were lifted safely and precisely.

Climeworks commissioned Britlift to design and manufacture a solution. UK-based Britlift created a custom-designed tandem lifting frame with integrated twist locks, similar to those found on traditional shipping container lifting frames. This enables Climeworks to quickly and easily secure the collector containers to the frame.

Akil Prabhu, lead plant engineer at Climeworks, said: “Britlift worked with us to understand our specific requirements and deliver a product that meets our needs very well. Working with Britlift was a positive experience from start to finish and we would be happy to work with them again in the future.”

Climeworks has since placed a second order with Britlift as it continues to expand its operations. Mammoth is Climeworks’ second DAC+S facility in Iceland. It is roughly 10 times larger than the first site, Orca, with a carbon dioxide capture capacity of up to 36,000 tons of CO₂ per year. The plant has successfully started to capture its first CO₂ with 12 of its total 72 collector containers already installed. Climeworks is also establishing carbon removal projects in the United States as part of the US Department’s DAC Hub Programme. They include Project Cypress, in Louisiana, which is earmarked for a $600m grant by the US government to support deployment.

Climeworks commissioned Britlift to design and manufacture a lifting frame to ensure that the valuable loads were lifted safely and precisely.

Climeworks’ DAC systems work by drawing air through a fan into the collector, which filters the carbon dioxide particles. It then heats the filter, enabling it to release the CO₂ which is captured. In Iceland, the company works with its partner Carbfix which injects the CO₂ into deep basalt rock formations, where it mineralizes and remains locked away for more than 10,000 years.

Liam Botting, managing director of Britlift, said: “Climeworks is at the forefront of carbon dioxide removal, which is vital to helping industry meet its Net Zero goals. We are extremely proud to be helping ensure that lifting operations within its facility are as safe and efficient as possible.”

Based in Dorset, UK, Britlift works with a global client base, providing an end-to-end lifting equipment engineering design service including calculations, design, manufacture, certification, and rig design. The qualified mechanical and structural engineers at Britlift will work with the client during the design phase, ensuring the most efficient, effective, safe and suitable solution is engineered, be that a lifting beam or frame, a bespoke handling or lifting tool, complex rig design, or FEA. Its Traditional Modular spreader beam is also available in a variety of standard sizes.

• For further details, visit www.britlift.com.