23 April 2025, New York: 44.01’s and Aircapture’s Project Hajar was today announced as the strongest performer in the Air category of the XPRIZE’s carbon removal competition and awarded a $1 million XFACTOR prize. The project, based in Fujairah, UAE, uses Aircapture’s Direct Air Capture technology to capture CO2from the air, which 44.01 then mineralises, ensuring it can never escape back into the atmosphere.

The four-year global XPRIZE competition challenged teams around the world to develop high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions that are scalable to gigatonne level. More than 1,300 teams from nearly 80 countries competed. 20 finalists were selected in May 2024, with the winners announced in New York today.

Project Hajar is one of the world’s first projects to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it durably underground. The XPRIZE Judges felt the project represents a compelling example of a sustainable, high-quality, scalable carbon removal solution with potential to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change. 44.01 was supported by ADNOC and the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation throughout the project.

Talal Hasan, Founder and CEO of 44.01, said “The success of Project Hajar is testament to the leading role our region can play in decarbonising our atmosphere, providing new jobs and opportunities as we navigate the energy transition. Our climate needs decarbonisation solutions that can be deployed at scale, and we are working hard to scale up our technology in the Middle East and export it around the world.”

44.01 has demonstrated its mineralisation technology in Oman and the UAE and is now working to scale its technology and expand internationally. Mineralisation can be deployed on every continent and can play a significant role in helping remove CO2 from the atmosphere, decarbonise heavy industries and help countries reach their Net Zero ambitions.

Matt Atwood, Founder and CEO of Aircapture, said “This recognition from XPRIZE underscores the strength of our vision for deploying carbon removal infrastructure that is both rapidly scalable and economically viable. While many are focused on future capabilities, our modular system is already operating in the field—delivering measurable results today. We’re honored that the XPRIZE judges acknowledged the commercial and technical merits of our approach, which is designed for near-term impact and long-term scalability.”

“At this critical turning point for our planet, the technologies developed by these winning teams represent hope with a broad range of approaches that are suitable for different geographies and can help the world reach net zero and ultimately reverse climate change,” said Anousheh Ansari, chief executive officer, XPRIZE. “We cannot stabilize our climate without sustainably and safely extracting carbon from our atmosphere and oceans at large scales. I’m incredibly proud of the ways this XPRIZE competition catalyzed and fostered the innovation and collaboration necessary to build this critical new industry that was missing prior to our competition.”

About 44.01

44.01 eliminates CO2 by turning it into rock. The company’s pioneering technology accelerates the natural process of CO2 mineralisation to remove CO2 permanently in less than twelve months. 44.01 takes CO2captured from the atmosphere, or from hard-to-abate industrial processes, helping decarbonise vital industries and ultimately return the atmosphere to sustainable levels of CO2. The process is safe, scalable and lasts forever.

About Aircapture

Aircapture, headquartered in Berkeley, CA, is a leader in the deployment of direct air capture (DAC) solutions, delivering atmospheric CO₂ as a circular commodity for industrial and commercial customers. As the first truly modular DAC solution, Aircapture offers unparalleled flexibility, enabling customers to seamlessly integrate clean CO₂ into their production processes on-site. Founded in 2019, Aircapture is pioneering global projects in carbon sequestration, industrial decarbonization, and localized CO₂ supply. With a dedicated team of engineers, chemists, and entrepreneurs, Aircapture is redefining how carbon is captured, utilized, and recycled, driving the transition to a circular carbon economy.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically viable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at xprize.org.

XPRIZE Carbon Removal is funded by the Musk Foundation.