The largest direct air capture facility in the world, dubbed the “Mammoth,” commenced operations this week in Hellisheiði, Iceland, marking a significant advancement in climate technology. Developed by Swiss company Climeworks, this plant massively outstrips the capacity of its predecessor, the Orca plant, which has been operational since 2021. The Mammoth aims to capture ten times more carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere compared to Orca.
Starting on May 8, the Mammoth plant functions by drawing in atmospheric air and filtering out CO2 through a series of chemical processes. The trapped carbon dioxide is then either sequestered deep underground or repurposed into carbon-based products, CNN reports. Specifically, the CO2 captured at Mammoth will be converted into solid stone through mineralization in rock formations, ensuring its permanent removal from the atmosphere. This process is a collaboration with Icelandic company Carbfix, utilizing Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy to power the facility with renewable energy.
Climeworks announced the initiation of the Mammoth project with a groundbreaking in June 2022. “Only 18 months later, the core pieces of the plant have been built. The rest of 2024 will be dedicated to completing the plant’s buildout, adding the remaining 60 CO2 collector containers, and ramping up its operations,” the company stated. This staged approach highlights Climeworks’ flagship modular technology, which allows for scalable construction of plants depending on required sizes.
The largest direct air capture facility in the world, dubbed the “Mammoth,” commenced operations this week in Hellisheiði, Iceland, marking a significant advancement in climate technology. Developed by Swiss company Climeworks, this plant massively outstrips the capacity of its predecessor, the Orca plant, which has been operational since 2021. The Mammoth aims to capture ten times more carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere compared to Orca.
Starting on May 8, the Mammoth plant functions by drawing in atmospheric air and filtering out CO2 through a series of chemical processes. The trapped carbon dioxide is then either sequestered deep underground or repurposed into carbon-based products, CNN reports. Specifically, the CO2 captured at Mammoth will be converted into solid stone through mineralization in rock formations, ensuring its permanent removal from the atmosphere. This process is a collaboration with Icelandic company Carbfix, utilizing Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy to power the facility with renewable energy.
Climeworks announced the initiation of the Mammoth project with a groundbreaking in June 2022. “Only 18 months later, the core pieces of the plant have been built. The rest of 2024 will be dedicated to completing the plant’s buildout, adding the remaining 60 CO2 collector containers, and ramping up its operations,” the company stated. This staged approach highlights Climeworks’ flagship modular technology, which allows for scalable construction of plants depending on required sizes.
A recent study highlighted a troubling rise in global CO2 emissions, with projections showing an increase of 1-2% from the combustion of fossil fuels. This trend falls significantly short of the drastic cuts needed to align with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. As climate repercussions grow more severe, researchers are urgently calling for significant measures, emphasizing the necessity to not only reduce new emissions but also to actively remove existing CO2 from the atmosphere.
While direct air capture (DAC) technology provides a method to remove CO2 directly from the air, it remains a costly and energy-demanding solution compared to emission reduction strategies at the source. Furthermore, there is a worry that relying on such technology might allow policymakers to avoid implementing more challenging decarbonization measures, according to the report.
Despite these challenges, Climeworks is advancing its efforts in direct air capture technology. When operating at full capacity, the Mammoth plant, equipped with 72 carbon collector units, will have the capacity to extract approximately 36,000 tons of CO2 annually from the air.
Looking ahead, Climeworks representatives have expressed goals to reduce the cost of carbon removal to $300-350 per ton by 2030, a significant drop from the current cost of over $1,000 per ton. Their long-term objective is to lower the cost further to $100 per ton by 2050, enabling the widespread adoption of DAC technology. Climeworks’ ambitious plan includes the removal of 1 billion tons of carbon annually by 2050, utilizing an expansive network of global plants.
