Next-Gen Technology Fuels Climeworks’ Megaton Jump

Climeworks is future-proofing its technology to scale globally to the removal of several gigatons of carbon using the latest research and development discoveries in its filtration materials and design. its facilities. At its annual Carbon Removal Summit in Zurich, Climeworks showcases the success of its Generation 3 direct air capture (DAC) technology: doubling CO₂ capture capacity per module, halving consumption energy, increase the lifespan of materials and reduce costs by 50%.

Double flow – half the energy

Generation 3 technology uses new structured absorbent materials replacing the packed filter beds used in previous generations of technology. The new structures increase the contact surface area with CO₂, thereby reducing the capture and release time of CO₂ by a factor of at least two, thereby capturing more than twice as much CO₂ as previous filters. The new filter materials use half as much energy and are designed to last three times as long as previous materials. Generation 3 technology represents a major milestone in Climeworks’ cost reduction strategy, which aims to achieve costs of $250 to $350 per ton captured and total costs of $400 to $600 per net ton of disposal. by 2030. This represents an overall cost reduction of up to 50 percent compared to today.

A head start with the largest testing facilities

The journey began at Climeworks’ small and medium-sized test facilities in Zurich, where the new technology was perfected before being tested at Climeworks’ large-scale test facilities in Basel, Switzerland.

Climeworks has a research and development team of 180 people, including 50 specialists dedicated to the development of generation 3 technology. These specialists have accumulated 15,000 hours of testing new absorbent materials and carried out 5,000 capture and deposition cycles. release of CO₂ to optimize the sustainability and efficiency of the system. Climeworks has transformed its collector concept from traditional stacked collector containers to sleek, modular cubes. These cubes have been redesigned to increase capture efficiency, reduce costs and improve robustness. They each measure 26 by 26 meters and are 22.5 meters high (85 by 85 feet and 73 feet high).

At the forefront of innovation: megaton hubs in the United States and beyond

The first plant using this new generation of technologies, including a new cubic design, will be built in Louisiana as part of the megaton-scale “Cypress DAC Hub Project” funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and would mark another tenfold step toward multi-megaton capacity. Additionally, Climeworks is part of two other proposed megaton hubs in the United States and is actively developing projects in Norway, Kenya and Canada, and is also exploring other sites as part of its journey to multi-ton capacity. gigatons.

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