As the world swelters through another record-breaking summer, and countries like Greece yet again suffer devastating wildfires which give the impression of a living hell, a recent Guardian article highlights a worrying trend: billions are being poured into unproven climate technologies. Direct Air Capture (DAC) is among them, promising to suck CO2 straight from the sky. It's a seductive idea, but as the CEO of a DAC company, I'll let you in on a dirty secret: most current DAC solutions trigger astronomical energy demands, threatening to derail our efforts before they begin.
Most conventional DAC systems today are hugely energy-intensive. They force vast amounts of air over CO2-absorbing materials, then use intense heat to release and collect the gas. This process, particularly the heating step, requires a lot of energy - typically more than 2 megawatt-hours (MWh) for each ton of CO2 captured - equivalent to two months of an average U.S. household's energy use.
What makes this task so challenging is that CO2 is incredibly scarce in our atmosphere, at just 400-430 parts per million. Imagine trying to pluck individual CO2 molecules from an invisible cloud of nitrogen and oxygen. It's no wonder the process is energy-intensive.
Scale that up to the billions of tons we need to remove, and we're talking about an energy demand that could rival our entire projected renewable energy production by 2050. In fact, conventional DAC technologies would require almost all of the world's projected renewable electricity supply by then - about 20,000 TWh out of 21,000 TWh of renewable generation. It’s therefore unsurprising that critics like Al Gore have dismissed DAC as a fraud. With these energy requirements, it's hard to disagree. We'd be solving one problem by potentially creating another.
So, are we at an impasse? Not necessarily. This energy challenge is driving rapid innovation in the DAC field. Currently, there are three main approaches:
Each of these approaches has its merits, but the continuous separation process is the one that’s most exciting. By eliminating the energy-intensive release step, it opens the door to dramatic efficiency improvements. The most promising new technologies in this category - including my company's, full disclosure - aim to slash energy requirements by up to 70%, to as low as 0.6 MWh per ton of CO2. If achieved, this would transform DAC from an energy nightmare into a very feasible process that could completely transform the fight against climate change.
And, importantly, we're not reinventing the wheel here: the solar industry dramatically cut costs by shifting from batch to continuous manufacturing. Wind power became viable through relentless improvements in aerodynamics and materials. We expect DAC to follow a similar learning curve to solar panels as researchers are diving into fields like fluid dynamics and electrochemistry to boost efficiency. What seems cutting-edge today could be commodity technology in 20 years.
Here's what I think needs to happen:
Policymakers need to incentivize efficiency alongside scale - and avoid diverting desperately needed funding to energy-intensive, unproven tech. The US Inflation Reduction Act's DAC hubs are a start, but they must prioritize energy-smart approaches.
Equally, investors need to look beyond flashy, large-scale projects. The real breakthroughs are happening in labs and in startups that can demonstrate pathways to dramatic efficiency improvements.
In short, both governments and investors need to focus on technologies that have approaches that are scalable and can become economically viable at scale, even though it might take them slightly longer to develop. These "deep tech" solutions are crucial for long-term success.
Researchers must continue to push the boundaries of materials science and system design. Breakthroughs in these areas could push efficiency even further, potentially below 0.5 MWh per ton.
Finally, the DAC industry should collaborate on setting new efficiency benchmarks. Because really, the clock is ticking. We don't have the luxury of pursuing inefficient solutions, no matter how attractive they might seem on paper.
Beyond solving the climate crisis, this is also about seizing an enormous market opportunity. While we work to remove carbon from the atmosphere, we're simultaneously creating a system that allows companies to benefit economically. If a regulated compliance credit scheme emerges at $200 per ton, and we're talking about removing 10 billion tons, that's a potential $2 trillion market by 2050. Forward-thinking companies aren't just pursuing this for ESG targets; they recognize the immense business potential it brings.
I predict that within five years, we'll see the first large-scale DAC plant operating at less than 1 MWh per ton. But we can't wait for it to magically appear - we need to demand it, fund it, and build it. Creating the efficient, scalable DAC systems our world desperately needs is within reach.
The question is, do we have the collective understanding and will to make it happen?
Amir Shiner, CEO of RepAir Carbon brings 25+ years of tech expertise to the climate fight. With a background in medical devices and engineering, he’s led three startups as CEO, securing millions in funding. His experience spans product development, fundraising, and go-to-market strategy execution. Now, he's applying it to transform Direct Air Capture technology.
