The world’s largest direct carbon capture plant, named Orca, has commenced operations in Iceland. Developed by Swiss startup Climeworks, the plant is designed to capture 4000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually.
Orca uses renewable, geothermal energy to draw in air, filter out the CO2, mix it with water, and inject it deep underground. Within two years, the trapped CO2 undergoes a natural mineralization process, turning it into stone, effectively removing it from the environment permanently.
The plant’s location on a lava plateau in southwest Iceland is strategic, leveraging the geothermal power available in the region. The captured CO2 is stored underground using a Carbfix solution, which facilitates the chemical reaction with water and the subsequent mineralization process.
Despite the promising start, the scale of the challenge remains immense. The 4000 tons of CO2 captured by Orca is equivalent to the annual emissions of just 250 US residents. This is a stark reminder of the magnitude of global carbon emissions, which stood at around 31.5 billion metric tons in 2020.
Climeworks has ambitious plans for the future. The company aims to remove 500,000 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by the end of this decade. It also plans to expand Orca tenfold within the next three years, driven by high demand for carbon capture solutions.
While the cost of carbon offset is currently high, at $600 per ton for bulk requests and up to $1200 for eco-friendly individuals, Climeworks hopes to reduce the cost to $300 or less per ton by 2030 as it increases its capacity.
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