National Carbon Capture Center

What National Carbon Capture Center does

The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) is a DOE-sponsored applied-research facility that provides neutral, third-party pilot-scale testing of carbon capture technologies under real-world operating conditions. Operated and managed by Southern Company since its founding in 2009, the center is sited in Wilsonville, Alabama adjacent to Alabama Power's Plant Gaston, with access to both coal and natural gas flue gas streams that allow simultaneous bench- and pilot-scale evaluation of post-combustion, pre-combustion, direct air capture, and carbon utilization technologies. Its test infrastructure includes a Slipstream Solvent Test Unit, Pilot Solvent Test Unit, and modular Pilot Bay skids capable of 0.5-10 tonnes per day CO2 capture, which have been used to evaluate 85+ technologies and accumulate 170,000+ testing hours as of mid-2025.

NCCC's core offerings are testing services rather than commercial products. Technology developers — including startups (SRI International, KC8 Capture Technologies, Aircapture, CarbonBuilt), universities (UCLA Samueli), and enterprises (CORMETECH, EPRI, GTI Energy, Susteon) — pay for access to the facility's flue gas supply, utilities, engineering support, and data collection. The revenue model combines three streams: a $140 million five-year DOE cooperative agreement renewed October 2020, industrial cost-sharing sponsorships from companies such as ADNOC, BKV, ExxonMobil, J-POWER, Chevron, TotalEnergies, TVA, and NRECA, and paid testing engagements. Testing services are sold via direct enterprise engagement through a single point of contact ([email protected]), with marketing conducted through industry conferences, technical reports, and NCCC's leadership of the International Test Center Network.

NCCC's strategic significance derives from its federally designated status as the U.S. Department of Energy's primary carbon capture research facility and from the institutional expertise built over 15+ years of operations. Its pilot testing has been credited with reducing projected carbon capture costs by approximately 40%, and multiple technologies developed and validated at NCCC — including CarbonBuilt's Reversa process (NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE winner) and Aircapture's DAC technology ($1M Carbon Removal XPRIZE XFACTOR Award 2025) — have advanced to commercial deployment or licensing (e.g., Baker Hughes' global exclusive license for SRI's Mixed Salt Process).

Name

National Carbon Capture Center

Legal name

National Carbon Capture Center

Website

https://nationalcarboncapturecenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Carbon Capture Center is a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored, Southern Company-operated pilot-scale test facility in Wilsonville, Alabama that evaluates next-generation carbon capture technologies for technology developers, industrial sponsors, and government agencies under real-world flue gas conditions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Capture Testing Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

GHG Monitoring Plans & Sampling Design (Field Protocols, QA/QC) (EUABACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Removal Measurement, Monitoring & Verification (Removal MRV & Durability) (EUABAFAK), Data Assurance, Audit & Attestation (ISAE 3000/3410, SOC, Chain-of-Custody) (EUABACAJ)

Keywords

• Carbon capture testing
• Post-combustion capture
• Direct air capture
• Pilot-scale testing
• Carbon utilization research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. DOE Cooperative Agreement: Primary funding from U.S. Department of Energy through a $140 million, 5-year cooperative agreement (renewed October 2020) with the Office of Fossil Energy and National Energy Technology Laboratory to operate as a neutral test facility for carbon capture research.
2. Industrial Sponsorships: Multiple industrial sponsors (ADNOC, BKV, ExxonMobil, J-POWER, Chevron, Total, and others) provide cost-sharing and sponsorship to support testing operations and gain early access to emerging technologies.
3. Technology Developer Testing Services: Technology developers pay for testing services at the facility. Various organizations including universities, private companies, and government labs conduct paid testing campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) operates as a neutral, third-party pilot-scale testing facility that evaluates emerging carbon capture technologies under real-world operating conditions. It hosts technology developers and industrial sponsors to test post-combustion, pre-combustion, direct air capture, and carbon utilization technologies using its dedicated pilot-scale infrastructure.

Product overview

The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) is a research and testing facility, not a traditional product company. It operates as the U.S. Department of Energy's primary carbon capture research facility, managed by Southern Company. The center provides neutral, real-world testing infrastructure for carbon capture technology developers rather than selling commercial products. Its core offerings include: post-combustion carbon capture testing (for coal and natural gas power plants), direct air capture (DAC) testing, carbon utilization technology testing, and pre-combustion/gasification carbon capture testing. The center offers various testing scales from bench-scale slipstream units to pilot-scale facilities capable of processing 5-10 tonnes per day of CO2. The NCCC also publishes technical reports and provides technology validation services for DOE and industry sponsors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Post-Combustion Capture Testing
• Pre-Combustion Capture Testing
• Direct Air Capture Testing
• Carbon Utilization Testing

Quantifiable outcome

• 170,000+ hours of real-world technology testing completed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and sponsor of the NCCC through DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. DOE created the National Carbon Capture Center in 2009 to accelerate development and commercialization of carbon capture technologies. Current agreement valued at $140 million for five-year period starting October 2020.
• National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates through collaborative agreement with NETL's Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office. NETL provides oversight, technical guidance, and funding for the facility's testing operations.
• Southern CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates and manages the NCCC as the primary contractor for DOE. Southern Company's research and development organization provides technical staff, facility operations, and institutional expertise.
• Baker HughescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal exclusive licensing partner with SRI for the Mixed Salt Process technology. Cost-sharing industry partner for MSP development and testing at NCCC. Collaboration with SRI, EPIC Systems, Trimeric Corporation, and OLI Systems.
• SRI InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology developer testing novel mixed salt process (MSP) technology at NCCC with support from DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Baker Hughes, and NETL.
• KC8 Capture TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology developer testing UNO MK3 solvent process at NCCC with DOE ARPA-E FLECCS program funding. Six-to-nine month test period evaluating 95% CO2 capture from natural gas flue gas.
• AircapturecoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect air capture technology developer that won $1 million XPRIZE award in collaboration with 44.01 for Project Hajar. Conducted pilot testing at NCCC which facilitated demonstration and scale-up toward commercialization.
• 44.01coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner with Aircapture on Project Hajar DAC+M venture. Takes captured CO2 and converts it into rock using pioneering technology that accelerates natural CO2 mineralization process.
• Southern States Energy Board (SSEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed DAC RECO2UP partnership with Aircapture for first direct air capture testing at NCCC. Funded by DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and NETL.
• CORMETECHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTesting lower-cost transformational carbon capture technology designed to capture at least 95% of CO2 using monolithic amine contactor.
• EPRIcoreTechnology or IntegrationTesting water-lean solvent technology in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and RTI, with DOE funding.
• GTI EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationPilot-scale hollow fiber membrane contactor technology development with Air Liquide Advanced Separations and Trimeric Corporation.
• SusteoncoreTechnology or IntegrationTesting Sustenol solvent for natural gas power plant flue gas CO2 capture at NCCC's Pilot Solvent Test Unit. Industrial partner includes TotalEnergies.
• CarbonBuiltcoreTechnology or IntegrationLow-carbon concrete technology developer whose Reversa process was successfully commercialized after testing at NCCC. Partnered with Blair Block for first commercial deployment.
• UCLA Samueli School of EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped Reversa mineral carbonation technology in collaboration with CarbonBuilt. Won NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE.
• International Test Center Network (ITCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal coalition of carbon capture test facilities co-founded by NCCC. Members include CO2CRC (Australia), Technology Centre Mongstad (Norway), SaskPower (Canada), and others from 12+ countries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research organization, running one of Europe's most extensive CCS research and pilot testing programs (Trondheim FME NORDICCS, BIGCCS centres). Comparable to NCCC as a multi-program CCS testing and development center working with global technology developers and industrial sponsors.
• IEAGHG (IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme): International research collaboration under the IEA coordinating greenhouse gas mitigation R&D including CCS. Convenes technology developers, sponsors, and policy actors globally — comparable to NCCC's International Test Center Network (ITCN) leadership role and global CCS convening function.
• Global CCS Institute: International think tank and member-funded organization focused on accelerating CCS deployment globally. Comparable to NCCC as a major international CCS hub aggregating developer pipelines, sponsor relationships, and policy/industry convening — though with a more advocacy-oriented mandate.
• CO2CRC Limited: Australia's leading CCS research organization, co-founded in 2003 by government, industry, and academic partners. Runs pilot-scale CO2 capture, storage, and utilization projects — directly comparable to NCCC as a multi-developer CCS test facility with both capture and geological storage R&D capability.
• Technology Centre Mongstad: World's largest dedicated CCS test center, located in Mongstad, Norway. Operates amine and other solvent pilot testing campaigns for global technology developers — directly comparable to NCCC's post-combustion carbon capture testing services, including similar slipstream and pilot-scale infrastructure and independent third-party testing protocols.

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency with active CCS research programs, pilot testing infrastructure (e.g., Glenelg and Otway research sites), and direct collaboration with CO2CRC. Comparable to NCCC as a national-scale applied science organization engaged in CCS pilot testing and developer validation.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): U.S.-based, member-funded R&D organization serving the global electric utility industry, with major carbon capture and climate portfolio programs and direct collaborations with NCCC (e.g., water-lean solvent testing). Comparable as a large utility R&D organization with broader portfolio but overlapping CCS testing capabilities and sponsor overlap.

Others

• Carbon Capture Coalition: U.S.-based diverse coalition of companies, NGOs, and policy organizations advocating for CCS deployment. Comparable to NCCC as an influential CCS-convening ecosystem actor — though focused on policy advocacy rather than technology testing.
• Clean Air Task Force: U.S. NGO focused on pragmatic climate solutions including CCS deployment acceleration and carbon removal policy. Comparable to NCCC as an ecosystem actor pushing CCS R&D investment, though through policy and advocacy rather than direct technology testing.

Regional players

• SaskPower: Canadian Crown utility that owns and operates the Boundary Dam CCS facility — one of the world's first commercial-scale post-combustion CCS power projects. Comparable to NCCC's utility-operated CCS testing and deployment mandate, though geographically focused on Canadian operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncarboncapturec
• Facebookfacebook.com/NatlCarbonCaptureCtr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-carbon-capture-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Carbon Capture Center