I’m writing an extra column this month based on some good news on the climate front. In a bold and innovative move to combat global warming, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $1.2 billion to propel the development of direct air capture (DAC) technology. These colossal carbon vacuums have the potential to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offering hope in the fight against climate change. While DAC is still in its infancy on the global stage, the new funding injection, courtesy of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signals a shift that may catapult this technology to the forefront of climate mitigation efforts.
Direct air capture, or DAC, is a promising breakthrough on the climate front. Its capacity to extract carbon dioxide directly from the air offers a revolutionary approach to curtailing global warming. Until now, DAC has faced scalability challenges that hindered its ability to make a substantial impact. However, the tide may be turning as the United States sets the stage for DAC hub projects that could outpace the combined efforts of existing initiatives.
The DOE’s investment will usher in a new era of carbon removal, marked by the establishment of two DAC hub projects—one in Texas and another in Louisiana. These hubs are projected to surpass the carbon removal capacities of all current projects combined, a testament to the government’s dedication to driving meaningful change. The harvested carbon will find a range of applications, from being sequestered underground to serving as a raw material for diverse products, including construction materials, agricultural resources, and even artificial diamonds.
The DAC hubs represent a significant milestone for the United States, as they will be the nation’s first commercial-scale ventures in this field. In a recent call with reporters, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm emphasized the hubs’ potential to eliminate over 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. This reduction is tantamount to removing nearly half a million gas-powered cars from the roads yearly.
Occidental Petroleum and its subsidiary 1PointFive are spearheading the Texas DAC hub. Situated on a 106,000-acre expanse south of Corpus Christi, this hub’s ambitions are impressive. The company envisions removing up to 30 million metric tons of CO2 annually through direct air capture.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana, the Battelle-led DAC hub is supported by technology from Climeworks. Headquartered in Zurich, Climeworks boasts the world’s largest DAC plant in Iceland, capable of removing around 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Climeworks believes it’s possible to rapidly scale its technology and parallel the trajectory of solar and wind industries, which would be great.
Beyond its technological significance, the DAC initiative promises substantial economic and employment benefits. With plans to generate nearly 5,000 jobs for local and former fossil fuel industry workers, these hubs will fortify the nation’s carbon reduction efforts and stimulate regional economies. Notably, both DAC hubs will be powered by clean energy sources, further reinforcing their commitment to sustainable practices.
You may be wondering why we don’t use DAC as our primary climate solution. The reality is that due to technology limitations and the resource demands to build thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of these sites, this technology, at best, could help us reach 10 to 20% of our goal of zero emissions by 2050. DAC is best reserved to help us offset emissions from concrete production or airline and ship fuel, for example, which will be challenging to eliminate. Until then, it’s essential that we aggressively continue with all of our other efforts.
Once we get to zero emissions, hopefully in 2050, there’s another use for DAC. We can use it to help us generate negative emissions, allowing us to remove the C02 still in the air from the start of the Industrial Revolution. Yes, believe it or not, it’s still there, and more and more scientists believe that negative emissions will be key to our long-term success.
As the direct air capture hubs emerge on the horizon, I’m hopeful. The promise of billions of tons of carbon removal annually presents a tangible step toward the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. While the journey is long and challenges remain, the U.S. government’s commitment to DAC technology ushers in a new era of climate action.
Rich Marcello is a novelist and a member of the Climate Initiative Committee. In writing his latest novel, “The Means of Keeping,” he spent several years researching the climate crisis.
