According to AZO Cleantech, the 20 million GBP investment was completed by TCE, one of the main suppliers of sodium carbonate, salt and sodium bicarbonate in Europe.

The facility will be able to capture as much as 40.000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of 20.000 cars. Through carbon capture, TCE will lower its overall environmental footprint by over 10%.

The carbon emission captured from the process of generating energy will be purified to food and pharmaceutical grade and used as a raw material for the production of sodium bicarbonate, which will be named Ecokarb.

Th process is patented in the UK as of right now, with the patent waiting for approval in other parts of the world as well.

Ecokarb will be exported in some 60 countries around the world and it will be used in haemodialysis, treating people that have the kidney disease.

The carbon capture plant was supported by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy with 4.2 million GBP.

Martin Ashcroft, Managing Director of Tata Chemicals Europe, said that "the completion of the carbon capture and utilization (“CCU”) demonstration plant enables us to reduce our carbon emissions, whilst securing our supply of high purity carbon dioxide, a critical raw material, helping us to grow the export of our pharmaceutical grade products across the world.

“This marks a key development in our low carbon transition helping to develop more sustainable manufacturing techniques that can be applied at a global level", he added.