climeworks
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Credit: Fahroni/Big Stock Photo
Carbon capture technology faces cost and scale challenges
Climeworks’ carbon capture plant in Iceland removes CO2 from the air and stores it underground as stone, but critics question its efficiency due to high costs and limited capacity.
In short:
- Climeworks' Mammoth plant in Iceland, the largest of its kind, captures 36,000 tons of CO2 annually by converting it into stone underground using DAC technology powered by geothermal energy.
- The high cost of $1,000 per ton of CO2 and the plant’s energy needs raise concerns about the technology’s scalability and effectiveness compared to reducing emissions at the source.
- Experts emphasize the need for a multi-pronged approach to climate change, as DAC alone cannot significantly offset the 40 billion tons of CO2 released annually.
Key quote:
“We release about 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, so this [DAC] won't make a dent in the big problem.”
— Dr. Edvard Júlíus Sólnes, University of Iceland
Why this matters:
As global CO2 emissions continue to rise, innovative solutions like direct air capture are being explored to mitigate climate change. However, the feasibility of scaling such technology while addressing its economic and energy demands remains uncertain.
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Climeworks, carbon dioxide removal company, building Iceland plant
Climeworks is building a plant in Iceland that will capture 36,000 tons of CO2 per year. It's a drop in the bucket, but the startup has huge ambitions.
Meet the world's first ocean-assisted carbon removal plant
The current version of the technology can capture CO2 at a cost of $475 per ton—lower than any other direct air capture in the world.
Newsletter
www.washingtonpost.com
A climate change solution slowly gains ground
Companies leading the hunt for ways to skim carbon dioxide from the air are attracting interest from big deep-pocketed corporations - including oil companies.
qz.com
The world’s first “negative emissions” plant has opened in Iceland—turning carbon dioxide into stone
Not big enough to do much, but it's a start.
Thanks to Texas Tech climate scientist extraordinaire Katharine Hayhoe for pointing this story out on her Facebook Page.
As she noted, it's not big enough to do much, but it's a start.
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