BLUE SKIES MINERALS
CarbonFix cohort
Type
Founders
Type of impact
Type of invention
Key Milestones
Current TRL: 5
TRL 9: 2028
First 1Mt CO2e Captured: 2030
CO2e p.a. in 2030: 0.5-1.0 Mt
About this project
Founded by André Sobolewski and Silko Barth, Blue Skies Minerals is revolutionizing mining by turning waste into a climate solution. Their process mineralizes captured CO₂ in mine tailings, permanently storing carbon while preventing pollution in natural waters.
With the massive scale of the mining industry, this approach has the potential to sequester gigatons of CO₂. Their first commercial plant is set to remove 150 kilotons by 2028, with four additional plants planned by 2030—capturing up to 1.8 million tons of CO₂ per year (the equivalent of taking nearly 400,000 cars off the road).
Backed by CarbonFix funding, Blue Skies Minerals is expanding its team and scaling its low-cost, high-volume process. Their vision? A mining industry where every operation locks away excess carbon—turning a major emitter into a climate ally.
We will be able to remove a lot of CO₂. Maybe one gigaton, maybe 0.5. But to be honest, I think the more important measure of success is: will we be able to establish one more option, one more solution in a grand multitude of solutions. If we succeed in that, then that is terrific.
André Sobolewski, CEO
Founder Q & A
Gentlemen, why did no one do this before?
André: “Well, our solution builds on 50 years of research by the mining industry to address its environmental impacts. It was a huge puzzle to understand the nature of contaminant release and to find ways to address it. We extended newer environmental solutions in a pretty elegant way to address both climate and environment.
We also address climate differently than others. For example: for us, high throughput is more important than, say, the specific nature of the removed carbon. We focus on the process as much as on the chemistry because a lot of CO₂ needs to be sequestered.
What’s more, something like the purity of reagents is less important for us than it is for traditional chemical companies. We work with tailings, so our source material can be dirty, like industrial waste, which is much less expensive. We want our solution to be high volume and low cost.”
With the enormity of the challenge in front of us all, how do you define success for Blue Skies Minerals?
André: “We will be able to remove a lot of CO₂ . Maybe one gigaton, maybe 0.5. But to be honest, I think the more important measure of success is: will we be able to establish one more option, one more solution in a grand multitude of solutions. If we succeed in that, then that is terrific.”
Silko: “From a personal perspective, it’s a good feeling for me to dedicate my professional time and effort in this venture. My family can see what I do. I can be a blueprint, for them and others, inspiring the next generation. Even if we ourselves don’t succeed, we can seed this new way of thinking with others. To be able to inspire that mindset is hugely rewarding.”
What do you wish others would know outside the climate space that people inside it do know?
André: “Let’s reverse the question and say that in the past, climate tech people thought consumers would happily pay a “Green premium”, knowing the environment would benefit. But in my opinion, the climate tech scene needs to learn that whatever they do, whatever their product is, it needs to be compatible with the brown industry out there, with the “old” economy. It’s great to have an ideal, but it needs to be rooted in practical reality.”