(DAC) technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere, for CO2 storage or utilisation. Twenty-seven DAC plants have been commissioned to date worldwide, capturing almost 0.01 Mt CO2/year. Plans for at least large-scale (> 1000 tonnes CO2 pear year) 130 DAC facilities are now at various stages of development.1 If all were to advance (even those only at the concept stage), DAC deployment would nearly reach the level required in 2030 under the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, or around 65 MtCO2/year. Lead times for DAC plants range from two to six years, suggesting that deployment in line with the NZE Scenario could be achieved with adequate policy support. However, most of the facilities announced to date are at very early stages of development, and cannot be expected to reach (FID) and operational status without continued development of market mechanisms and policies to create demand for the CO2 removal service they would provide.
Saturday, 22 February, 2025
