Judges of XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition to find the best technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans sponsored by the Musk Foundation, visited Zhonghe Negative Emissions Technology (Guangdong) Co Ltd in Zhongshan's Torch High-tech Zone on October 24 to conduct an on-site evaluation of the "world's first direct air mineralization pilot project" of the company, marking the official launch of the pilot project.

The pilot project can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into calcium carbonate, which can be used as industrial raw materials. It provides a solution to achieve carbon neutrality for China and even the globe.

Zhonghe is a Zhongshan-based subsidiary of Yuanchu Technology (Beijing) Co Ltd that was founded in Torch High-tech Zone earlier in July. In May 2024, Yuanchu Technology participated in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal and became the only Chinese company to get qualified for the final top 20.

"This pilot project in Zhongshan can remove over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year," said Cai Lihong, president of Yuanchu Technology. Currently, Zhonghe is also advancing the construction of a global demonstration project that is able to remove 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.