A groundbreaking step in the fight against climate change was taken on Wednesday with the launch of the world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) plant in Iceland. Named “Mammoth,” this facility is designed to remove planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, functioning like a giant vacuum. Developed by Swiss company Climeworks, Mammoth is ten times larger than its predecessor, Orca, which began operations in 2021.
Direct air capture is an innovative technology that pulls in ambient air and extracts carbon dioxide (CO₂) using specialized chemicals. The captured carbon can then be stored underground, repurposed, or turned into solid materials. In Mammoth’s case, Climeworks collaborates with Icelandic company Carbfix to transport the CO₂ underground, where it naturally turns into stone, ensuring long-term sequestration. This entire process is powered by Iceland’s geothermal energy, making it a sustainable operation.
The facility’s design consists of modular collector containers stacked on top of each other. Fans draw in air, which passes through a filter that captures CO₂. The purified air is then released back into the environment, while the collected carbon is processed for permanent storage.
At full capacity, Mammoth is expected to remove 36,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. This is roughly equivalent to taking 7,800 gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year. However, despite its impressive capabilities, it remains a small fraction of the carbon removal needed to meet global climate goals.
Currently, the cost of capturing one ton of CO₂ is closer to $1,000, making it an expensive process. Climeworks aims to reduce this cost to $300-$350 per ton by 2030 and eventually reach $100 per ton by 2050 a crucial price point for making DAC technology widely viable.
While DAC technology has potential, it remains controversial. Critics argue that it is energy-intensive and expensive, with uncertain large-scale feasibility. Some environmentalists worry that focusing on carbon capture could distract from the more immediate need to reduce fossil fuel use. Others fear that captured carbon could be misused in processes like enhanced oil recovery, where CO₂ is injected into oil wells to extract more fossil fuels.
However, Climeworks distinguishes itself by committing to permanently store the captured carbon rather than selling it for industrial use. The company’s long-term goal is to scale up operations to remove 1 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2030 and 1 billion tons by 2050.
Mammoth represents a significant milestone in carbon removal efforts, but it is just the beginning. Larger DAC plants, such as the upcoming Stratos facility in Texas, aim to remove even greater amounts of CO₂. However, whether DAC can be deployed on a global scale in time to meet climate targets remains an open question.
For now, the launch of Mammoth signals a growing commitment to innovative solutions in the fight against climate change. While carbon removal alone cannot solve the crisis, it may become a crucial tool alongside renewable energy adoption and fossil fuel reduction.
