Swiss carbon removal company Climeworks is establishing its Canadian headquarters in Calgary, selecting the Energy Transition Centre (ETC) as a base to test and scale direct air capture technology in cold-weather conditions.
Several employees are already working from the downtown innovation hub, with additional local hiring planned in the coming months.
The company says it chose Calgary for its carbon management expertise, infrastructure, and regulatory environment — factors increasingly attracting carbon capture and removal firms to Alberta.
The next step will be selecting a local testing site, where a mobile direct air capture unit is expected to operate in fall 2026 to gather performance data ahead of a larger commercial facility.
“We’re excited to establish our Canadian headquarters at the ETC in Calgary,” said Colum Furey, Canada Country Director at Climeworks. “Alberta’s world-class carbon capture ecosystem, combined with a supportive policy framework, makes this a natural place for us to scale.”
He added that proximity to industry and research partners should help accelerate development as the sector moves from pilot deployments toward global commercialization.
The Energy Transition Centre says the move reflects Calgary’s expanding role in energy innovation.
“Their commitment to scaling engineered solutions aligns perfectly with our mission here at the ETC to foster and accelerate energy innovation and drive the development and commercialization of transformative energy technologies,” said Nannette Ho-Covernton, Executive Director of the ETC Foundation.
Local carbon-management organizations also point to Alberta’s incentives, technical expertise, and existing CCS infrastructure as major draws for international firms exploring North American deployment.
Climeworks’ expansion adds to a growing cluster of carbon-management companies in Alberta, positioning the region as an emerging hub for commercial-scale carbon removal. If testing proves successful, the company’s planned commercial facility would represent another step toward scaling permanent atmospheric carbon removal in North America.
The Alberta Energy Transition Study estimates the sector could generate 170,000 cleantech jobs and $61 billion in GDP by 2050.
Calgary Economic Development supported the company’s entry by connecting Climeworks with local partners and service providers and facilitating introductions across the ecosystem, including membership at the Energy Transition Centre.
“Calgary is — and always will be — the energy capital of Canada, and today we are leveraging that expertise to lead in emerging climate technologies,” said Brad Parry, President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.
“Companies like Climeworks see the advantage of being here — a deep talent pool, world-class infrastructure and a collaborative ecosystem that helps innovative solutions move from concept to deployment.”
The move further signals Calgary’s transition from an oil-and-gas headquarters city toward a global centre for carbon management and industrial climate technology deployment.
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