PORTEFEUILLE

Modern society's heavy dependence on fossil fuels and other resources is causing profound environmental damage. One of the largest contributors to this issue is food production, which accounts for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). This significant portion is largely driven by the extensive use of fertilizers and the long distances that food often travels from farm to table. Here, greenhouses and urban farming have been identified as a more sustainable approach by enabling local food production and a controlled environment for improved irrigation and dosing of fertilizers. However, their potential environmental benefits are often compromised by a reliance on fossil fuels for heating and CO2 enrichment.
To truly unlock the sustainability of greenhouses, it’s imperative to find a cleaner source of CO2. At fortyfour, we’re tackling this challenge head-on with the development of a fully electric system that replaces fossil CO2 with CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere. This cutting-edge carbon capture technology is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing greenhouse operations, boosting crop yields and extending growing seasons while significantly reducing environmental impact and dependency on imported resources.
This innovative concept have been tested at a laboratory scale, culminating in the creation of a prototype capable of capturing CO2. This approach, known as Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), holds immense promise for reducing GHG emissions within the food industry, paving the way for abundant, sustainable and profitable local agriculture.

Theoretical analysis and simulations have yielded highly promising results, and initial laboratory experiments have successfully validated these findings. Building on these foundations, the next step is to develop a functional prototype that will serve as a proof of concept. This prototype will enable us to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology in a real-world setting.
To ensure a smooth transition from research to industry, we have founded the startup «fortyfour», supported by HSLU, HSG, and Talent Kick. This startup will play a crucial role in scaling the project and driving commercialization. We are actively engaged with several industrial stakeholders, including greenhouse farmers, with whom we are planning to deploy a demonstration unit once the proof of concept is achieved.