Direct air capture must cut costs to succeed

Project developers believe dramatic reductions are possible, but only with global policy support

Direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide will need to realise major cost reductions if it is to play a role in the energy transition. But the potential market is enormous, and increased tax credits could kickstart the industry in the US. The IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 scenario sees DAC removing 60mn t/yr of CO₂ by 2030 and 980mn t/yr by 2050. But in September, the agency reported there were just 18 operational plants with a combined capacity of 0.01mn t/yr. The IEA sees a pipeline of just 5.5mn t/yr of projects in advanced development, with a further 38.7mn t/yr in the early stages. The organisation still believes 60mn t/yr of capacity by 2030 is achievable but says this will require several a