Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air
just opened. Here’s how it works
Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies extract carbon dioxide (CO2)
directly from the ambient atmosphere. Carbon dioxide removal is achieved when
ambient air makes contact with chemical media like an aqueous alkaline solvent or
sorbents. The extracted CO2 is then sequestered in safe long-term storage. Earlier
this month, the world's biggest DAC plant called “Mammoth” started operating in Iceland. The operation of
the DAC is powered by geothermal energy, which is abundant in the volcanic
country. The carbon captured is injected beneath the ground and transformed
into stone, which locks up the carbon permanently. When it runs at full
capacity, the DAC plant will pull 36,000 tons of carbon a year, which is
equivalent to the annual emission of 7,800 gasoline vehicles. Critics say
carbon removal technologies like DAC are too expensive and energy-consuming. The
producer/operator of Mammoth is aiming to lower the costs of their DAC plants
down to an economically practical level, $100 per ton, around 2050.
Though carbon removal doesn’t reduce CO2 emissions, it does help reduce
CO2 from the air as long as it is operated by clean energies.
Read the article and learn about this massive CO2-sucking plant in
Iceland.
