World’s largest direct air capture and CO2 storage plant begins ops in Iceland

CCUS

Iceland Climeworks has unveiled Orca, the world’s largest direct air capture and storage facility capable of permanently removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Orca’s construction began in May 2020, and it is built on advanced modular technology in the form of revolutionary stackable container-size collection units. These units are powerful and small in size, with a small physical footprint. Orca was able to become operational in less than 15 months as a result of this. In comparison to the previous technology generation, the utilization of steel in collector units has been roughly cut in half per output unit. Orca also promotes Climeworks’ expansion because the technology can easily copied at other locations across the world and on even larger proportions, in a flexible way wherever adequate renewable energy and storage conditions are available. Orca, which is strategically placed next to ON Power’s Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, is entirely powered by renewable energy.

Orca is a one-of-a-kind operation that brings the notion of industrial-scale direct air collection and storage to life. This updated technological generation features an award-winning new design that embodies the connectivity of nature and technology. Climeworks has been able to intensify the process for the technology generation represented by Orca, resulting in improved CO2 collection capacity per module. Because of this improved procedure, more carbon dioxide can be caught and stored than ever before.

Scaling up climate solution

This advancement in plant design is a critical facilitator for swiftly scaling up this much-needed climate solution in the next years. Climeworks is on course to considerably increase its capture capacity now that Orca is a reality and in operation, as demonstrated by long-term relationships with, among others, Microsoft, Swiss Re, Shopify, and promises from over 8’000 private individuals. Climeworks inspires and supports more forward-thinking businesses and individuals to act immediately and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Strong collaborations with pioneering Icelandic enterprises contribute to the great environment for scaling up. The Orca plant is powered by clean renewable energy supplied by ON Power, Iceland’s geothermal energy provider. Our partners Carbfix, who specialize in quick underground mineralization, combine the captured CO2 with water and pump it far underground, where it is trapped in stone by a natural mineralization process that takes less than two years.

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