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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Axios or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Danish carbon tech startup Again has begun construction of its first U.S. production facility in Texas City, aiming to convert industrial emissions into valuable chemicals
• The $20 million plant, dubbed TXS-1, is expected to be mechanically complete by year-end and will initially produce glacial acetic acid, a key input in consumer and industrial products
🔭 The context: Again builds modular systems that capture CO₂ and other waste gases from industrial processes and convert them into useful chemicals
• The Texas plant — located on land leased from a Dow-Macquarie joint venture — marks a 10-fold scale-up from its first commercial facility in Norway
• The company has also partnered with Helm, a German distributor, to market its output, and funded the U.S. expansion through a $43 million Series A backed by GV and HV Capital
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Carbon utilization technologies like Again’s offer a promising pathway to circular industrial systems, where CO₂ is treated not as waste but as feedstock
• By transforming emissions into commercial products, these solutions can reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based chemicals while cutting industrial emissions
• However, scalability and integration into existing supply chains remain key challenges
⏭️ What's next: TXS-1 is expected to reach production capacity of 40,000–50,000 metric tons annually, with scope to adapt output based on chemical demand
• Again is preparing to launch additional projects and move toward project finance as it matures
• Its partnership with Helm will extend beyond Texas, supporting its broader expansion into the North American carbon utilization market
💬 One quote: “We're demonstrating to investors that we're mature enough to take on project finance,” — Max Kufner, CEO, Again
📈 One stat: The TXS-1 plant will produce up to 50,000 metric tons of chemicals per year — 10 times the output of Again’s first commercial site in Norway
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