BOONE, NC, September 30, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present J. Michael Austell with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Austell celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Austell has served as the vice president of engineering at Carbon Collect Inc., an environmental services company based in Dublin, Ireland, since 2020. In this capacity, he applies his expertise in engineering, commercial and economic analysis to manage major projects focused on combating climate change. Mr. Austell leads efforts to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using advanced technologies, including the Mechanical Tree, which has evolved from stainless steel and aluminum construction to more sustainable materials, such as recyclable plastic and fiberglass composites with improved sorbents. He also oversees collaborations with Trimeric Corporation and PM Group for design and project management, ensuring the purification of carbon dioxide to 99.9% for sale or permanent sequestration. Furthermore, Mr. Austell researches and develops enhanced materials and sorbents to further improve direct air capture efficiency.

During his tenure at Carbon Collect Inc., Mr. Austell conducted a significant study on passive direct air capture for the U.S. Department of Energy and published the report. He has also played a pivotal role in a major fundraising round and completed an extensive study for the board of executive officers, contributing to the company's strategic direction. Mr. Austell is currently actively involved in a project related to direct air capture hubs, particularly the Southwest regional hub in Arizona managed by Arizona State University. His team is one of two direct air capture technologies included in this initiative, which aims to design and construct facilities capable of capturing 85,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually for underground sequestration.

In addition to his contributions at Carbon Collect Inc., Mr. Austell has worked as an energy and project development consultant for Progressive Energy Ltd. in Stonehouse, Gloucester, United Kingdom, since 2018, providing guidance on energy projects across international markets. Previously, he served as director of project development for the organization, where he helped advance innovative energy and carbon capture solutions for over a decade, from 2007 to 2018. The company has been known for being a key partner in the HyNet North West Project and Teesside Low Carbon Project.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Austell worked as the commercial director at CO2 Global AS from 2003 to 2006, where he directed business operations related to carbon management in Norway. Between 1998 and 2000, he excelled as the vice president for Southeast Europe and Turkey at Enron, overseeing regional energy initiatives and power plant developments. Mr. Austell also held the position of director of business development at Edison Mission Energy, where he was responsible for expanding business opportunities within the energy sector from 1991 to 1998. With these companies, Mr. Austell has developed energy projects in the US, UK, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Ireland totaling $2.6 billion in project financing.

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