Atmospheric alchemy: The energy and cost dynamics of direct air carbon capture

Amid a relentless global climate crisis, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) spotlighted Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) as a key intervention to mitigate escalating temperatures and CO2 levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the urgency of this challenge, stipulating the need for robust CO2 removal strategies. It sets a daunting yet crucial target: capture 85 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030, escalating to 980 million metric tons by 2050, to achieve net-zero emissions (IEA, Executive Summary-Direct Air Capture 2022-Analysis. https://www.iea.org/reports/direct-air-capture-2022/executive-summary). Despite this imperative, the existing 19 operational DAC facilities globally face significant barriers, including prohibitive costs and stringent regulations, which impede their large-scale application (Ozkan et al.). Current status and pillars of direct air capture technologies. Iscience (2022). While COP28 stopped short of delineating a definitive roadmap for DAC, this article addresses a vital aspect of this technology: DAC processes' substantial energy and heat requirements, which are integral to their operational efficiency and economic viability. This article illuminates pathways for future technological evolution and cost optimization through an in-depth analysis of these requirements, thereby charting a course toward a more effective and scalable DAC infrastructure.