DAC - A Key Technology towards Netzero

Direct Air Capture (#DAC) has started playing an increasingly important role in meeting net zero targets. The main advantages of #DAC are i) it can remove carbon dioxide (#CO2) emissions from the atmosphere and thereby providing a solution for historical accumulated #CO2emissions; ii) capturing CO2 from the atmosphere which are difficult to remove during the industrial process. #DAC is increasingly becoming a key #CO2removal (#CDR) technology and as a source of climate-neutral #feedstock to produce a product such as synthetic #aviationfuel, food and beverages. Nature-based solutions such as afforestation and reforestation; and enhanced natural processes such as biochar are available to support the progress towards #netzero. However, these are not sufficient towards achieving netzero. CDR technology such as direct air capture and storage (#DACS) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (#BECCS) can be used in global #energy and industries to achieve #netzero target by 2050. DACS and BECCS technologies have been developing and it is estimated by International Energy Agency (IEA) that 90 MtCO2/year can be captured using DAC by 2030 and can significantly be enhanced to 620 MtCO2/year in 2040 and 980 MtCO2/year in 2050. International Energy Agency (IEA) also projected that #DAC helps in capturing approximately 12 Gt of CO2 during 2020-2050 which is about 11% of global CO2 captured.

At present 18 #DAC plants are in deployment stage with a total #CO2 capture capacity of 0.01 Mt CO2/year. Large scale DAC plants is expected to be operational in following years. The first DAC plant of Climeworks was commissioned in 2017 in Hinwil, Switzerland. There is a DAC plant of capacity 1 Mt CO2/year is under development in the USA by Carbon Engineering and is expected to be operational in late 2024.