Carbon Capture: Carbon-Direct Air Capture is about to become economically viable

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is no longer just a theoretical solution to climate change; it has become a viable technology for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.

With new innovations, scale-up projects, and huge governments investments, this technology is now on the verge of becoming commercially viable. It can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing captured carbon in industries or storing it safely underground.

DAC technology draws atmospheric air through a large filter and chemically separates the carbon dioxide. The US Department of Energy reports that the cost of installing and operating this technology has dropped by 40% over the past five years.

Governments, especially in North America and Europe, are investing heavily in this technology. The American infrastructure bill has allocated billions in tax breaks and subsidies for commercializing this technology, resulting in the establishment of the world’s largest DAC hubs.

The emergence of this technology could act as an important ‘bridge’ in decarbonizing fossil fuel-based industries. Industries like cement, steel, and chemicals, which find it hard to lower carbon emissions, can reuse captured carbon in their production.

Swiss startup Carbon Capture Technologies has developed a synthetic fuel from captured carbon, potentially usable as jet fuel in the future. This economic potential makes the technology not just an environmental tool, but a profitable industry.