One Site, Many Systems: Canada’s Big DAC Experiment

Deep Sky Alpha runs multiple DAC systems side by side to cut risk and guide Canada’s carbon removal strategy

2 Feb 2026

Canada’s carbon removal sector is stepping out of the lab and into the field. With the launch of Deep Sky Alpha, a new direct air capture platform that began operating in 2025, the focus is shifting from bold claims to hard evidence.

The facility is built for one purpose: to test carbon removal in real conditions. That matters for an industry that has drawn attention for its promise, but also skepticism for its costs and lack of operating data. Direct air capture pulls carbon dioxide from the air and stores it underground. Supporters see it as a powerful climate tool. Critics point to its energy use, price tag, and limited track record at large scale.

Deep Sky Alpha takes a different approach to those doubts. Instead of betting on a single design, it hosts several capture systems at the same site. Each runs under the same conditions, using shared infrastructure. The result is apples-to-apples data on performance, reliability, and cost trends.

The aim is not to crown a winner overnight. Cost declines are expected to be slow, and trade-offs are real. But by showing what works, what fails, and what needs fixing, the platform could shorten learning curves and reduce the risk that has kept many investors on the sidelines.

Observers say the model reflects a wider shift in climate tech. Shared sites can lower technical and financial barriers, speed up learning, and offer a stronger basis for investment than standalone pilots scattered across regions.

Timing also matters. Governments are still figuring out how to regulate carbon removals. Canada and Alberta are developing rules for measuring, monitoring, and verifying stored carbon. An operating site like Deep Sky Alpha can help test how those rules hold up outside policy papers.

Direct air capture is not a substitute for cutting emissions, and no one involved claims otherwise. But by grounding the debate in data instead of forecasts, Deep Sky Alpha offers a clearer view of what carbon removal can realistically deliver, and what it will take to get there.