We are delighted to announce that the team behind the CalyChar project has won the University Research Readers’ Choice Award in Electronics Weekly’s 2025 Elektra Awards. The awards ceremony was held last month in London. Nominees for the prize were chosen by the editorial board and then put to a public vote.
CalyChar received funding from CO2RE’s third Pathfinders call and is a collaboration between scientists at Teesside University and the University of Edinburgh. Led by Dr Humbul Suleman, its aim is to develop a material (calcium oxide and lysine functionalised hydrochar, or CalyChar) that can, once carbonised, directly capture CO2 for years and permanently store it as a stable carbonate. CalyChar has the potential to be much cheaper than current direct air capture technologies and overcome the limitations of traditional hydrochar, a charcoal-like substance. You can read more about the project here.
Reflecting on the win, Dr Suleman said:
“We’re thrilled that CalyChar has been recognised with the University Research Readers’ Choice Award at the Elektra Awards. This acknowledgment reflects the passion and innovation of our team as we work to deliver cost-effective, durable carbon dioxide removal solutions with real potential to help tackle climate change.”
Congratulations to everyone in the CalyChar team!
Photo by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash.
