Why this project?

Holy Grail is a Direct Air Capture (DAC) startup based in Fremont, California, focusing on capturing and permanently storing CO2 with its innovative Project Moonstone. The company uses a unique method that involves modular scrubbers and electricity to convert CO2 into a stable, solid material stored above ground. This approach reduces reversal risks and simplifies monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Holy Grail’s pilot facility, Project Moonstone, aims to capture 1,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, using renewable energy. Certified by Puro.Earth, the company plans to expand operations significantly, with a goal to capture 100,000 tonnes by 2027.

Driving carbon removal

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technology that pulls CO₂ directly from the air using chemical reactions. Holy Grail employs solid sorbents—materials that absorb CO2—similar to other common chemicals used in products like soap and water filters. Once CO₂ is captured, it is released from the sorbents through heat and stored in solid form. Holy Grail’s method offers a reliable way to capture carbon and store it permanently above ground, in solid form for greater durability and easier monitoring.

Holy Grail’s Project Moonstone's initial scope is to capture 2,000 tonnes of CO2 in its pilot phase (2025-2026) and 100,000 tonnes annually in its industrial deployment by 2027. This scalable model demonstrates the company's commitment to addressing climate change through direct carbon removal. Solid-state storage minimizes risks associated with carbon leakage and ensures long-term accountability.

Technology-driven approach

Project Moonstone operates fully on renewable energy. The facility's solar roof generates 30% of its energy needs, while the remaining 70% is sourced from renewables provided by East Bay Community Energy. In the future, Holy Grail plans to expand solar installations, allowing the project to become fully independent from the electricity grid.

The project’s modular design allows for automated manufacturing and rapid deployment, eliminating the need for custom engineering and reducing associated risks. This flexibility accelerates scalability, leading to lower costs over time as the system is optimized. Additionally, by storing CO2 in solid form above ground, Holy Grail’s storage solution simplifies monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), providing transparency and certainty regarding the permanence of the stored CO2. This approach significantly reduces the need for complex, expensive modeling, ensuring that Holy Grail’s carbon removal solution remains both effective and reliable.