DAC partners announce global deployment approach

CCUS platform 1PointFive and technology company Carbon Engineering have announced a deployment approach that could achieve high numbers of direct air capture (DAC) projects around the world.

The approach standardises plant design to help deliver complete, operationally-ready DAC facilities to local partners. It would see plant components and equipment’s modularised, mass manufactured, and then assembled on-site using established supply chain vendors.

1PointFive expects it could achieve 70 DAC facilities by 2035, each with the capacity to capture up to 1m t/y, under current policy and voluntary and compliance market scenarios. It estimates that increased global policy initiatives and demand in the voluntary market could allow for as many as 135 facilities.

Work would combine the partner’s DAC technology, large-scale CO2 management, project expertise, and extensive storage infrastructure. Carbon Engineering will supply the DAC technology, and 1PointFive will build and deploy the DAC plants, making use of project engineering and delivery expertise from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV). 1PointFive is a subsidiary of OLCV. Local partners are expected to complete the team, bringing in complementary expertise.

Daniel Friedmann, CEO of Carbon Engineering, said: “The most recent IPCC report reiterated again that, alongside emission reductions, we need to remove vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to achieve net-zero targets by 2050 […] We see this new, franchise-like model as the most feasible, affordable and financeable path forward for CE’s DAC technology to make a meaningful impact on the huge climate challenge.”

1PointFive’s first DAC facility, located in Texas, US, is currently progressing through front-end engineering and design, and is expected to be operational by 2024. The development company was formed in 2020 to deploy Carbon Engineering’s DAC technology at commercial scale.