Direct Air Capture Plants: Climeworks’ $1,000/Ton Problem

Emerging Tech Debates

This podcast episode discuss Direct Air Capture (DAC), a technology that removes carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, as a crucial tool in combating climate change. They explain how DAC systems, such as liquid solvent and solid sorbent methods, operate and highlight Climeworks, a company that has pioneered this field with operational plants like Orca and Mammoth. The primary obstacle to widespread DAC adoption is its high cost, currently around $1,000 per ton of CO2 captured, which is attributed to factors like energy consumption, material expenses, and infrastructure needs. The sources explore the challenges and opportunities for reducing DAC costs through technological advancements and scaling up operations, and also touch upon the potential for utilizing captured CO2 to create revenue streams.