Can Holocene Turbocharge Occidental’s Carbon Push?

Occidental’s Holocene deal boosts low energy carbon removal and signals a fast accelerating CCUS market

18 Apr 2025

A quiet but consequential shakeup is moving through the carbon capture world, and energy leaders across North America are watching closely. Occidental’s purchase of Holocene Climate has injected new urgency into a field racing to prove it can scale and cut emissions at the pace governments and corporations now expect.

Holocene brings a direct air capture system built to pull carbon from the sky with far less energy than older models. That edge arrives at a moment when demand for high quality carbon removal is climbing fast in global markets. The deal positions Occidental as one of the few companies building a full carbon capture ecosystem that links inventive technology with commercial reach and dependable underground storage.

Holocene’s early wins help explain the excitement. The company recently signed a deal with Google to remove one hundred thousand tons of carbon at about one hundred dollars per ton. It is a signal that major buyers want removal options that feel bankable and long term. For Occidental, it adds a product that already has traction and a cost curve that could nudge the entire sector toward more affordable offerings. As one clean tech analyst put it, this is the moment when carbon removal starts to feel less like an experiment and more like a tool.

The move also reflects a broader consolidation trend. Climate tech firms are competing to lock down the systems and storage rights that will shape the next decade of decarbonization. Large scale capture projects call for deep pockets, fast deployment and secure subsurface access across multiple regions. Occidental’s growing platform gives customers a steadier sense of what their emissions pathways might look like.

Not everyone cheers the shift. Some experts warn that heavy consolidation can squeeze out smaller innovators. Others point to grinding permitting delays that still slow construction timelines. Even so, momentum remains strong as federal incentives and private capital feed a wave of new development.

Occidental’s Holocene deal offers a glimpse of where the industry is heading. Bigger players are gaining speed, core technologies are maturing and carbon removal is inching toward wider adoption. For companies still watching from the sidelines, the message is clear: the pace is rising, and the next round of breakthroughs is not far off.