Cyanocapture, which in 2021 received a boost from Elon Musk’s XPrize for carbon removal, is working with scientists from United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain to develop a system where algae sucks in the carbon produced by industries like cement manufacturing or power stations.

“Algae captures carbon dioxide better than plants,” says Dr Pratheesh Prakasam. The team is using a variety that grows fast in high temperatures. The algae sits in tubes and has air pumped over it, sucking in CO2 as it grows.

The UAE is an ideal deployment site, says fellow scientist at the company Dr Ashraf Aly Hassan. “To grow as many cells as possible, you need a lot of sunlight. The optimum conditions for algal growth for carbon dioxide uptake are here.”