Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology: Introduction
- Direct air carbon capture is a technology that captures CO2 from atmospheric air, and provides it in purified form for use or storage. This technique uses large fans that move ambient air through a filter, using a chemical adsorbent to produce a pure CO2 stream that could be stored. Direct air capture technology has significant effect on global CO2 concentrations.
- Demand for energy has been increasing rapidly. Large amount of fossil fuels is consumed in various industrial processes such as those in cement, steel, and power generation industries. Combustion of fossil fuels at such a large scale results in the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- Increase in amount of these gases in the atmosphere has resulted in irreversible phenomenon such as climate change and depletion of ozone. According to the Paris Climate Change Agreement, removal of existing CO2 from the atmosphere is necessary. Aggressive emission reductions are imperative, and large-scale carbon removal is also required. This is driving the demand for direct air carbon capture technology.
Key Drivers and Restraints of Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market
- The European Space Agency launched a technology in the early 1990s for expanding space missions by filtering out the exhaled carbon dioxide out of the air in the space shuttles and stations. Over the past couple of decades, this technology has undergone massive development, and the technology today is known as Direct Air Capture (DAC). Researchers and clean energy companies are increasingly adopting this technology to filter carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions out of the atmospheric air. This has led to extensive research and development activities in the sector, thereby driving the direct air capture market.
- Many fossil fuels are typically used in various industries. This releases large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, resulting in climate change and ozone layer depletion. This drives the need for an aggressive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a large-scale CO2 removal from the atmospheric air, thereby propelling the demand for state-of-the-art technologies in the field of direct air carbon capture.
- Using direct air carbon capture for oil recovery has the potential to cancel out the climate mitigation benefits. High expenses associated with the direct air carbon capture technology may play a pivotal role in restraining the market.
Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology: Number of Collectors Segment
- In terms of number of collectors, the global direct air carbon capture technology market can be classified into less than 10 collectors and more than 10 collectors
- The less than 10 collectors segment dominates the market, while the more than 10 collectors segment is expected to expand at a higher CAGR during the forecast period
- More than 10 collectors are used for collecting CO2, depending on the configuration of the core and ease of access around the construction site
COVID-19 Impact on Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market
- Since the beginning of 2020, global economy has been experiencing a downturn due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak of Covid-19 is anticipated to have a significant impact on production and distribution of direct air carbon capture technology.
- Governments of several countries have imposed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many manufacturing companies are either shut down or running low on production capacity.
- Decrease in industrial activities due to the pandemic has been adversely impacting the global direct air carbon capture technology market
Europe holds Major Share of Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market
- In terms of region, the global direct air carbon capture technology market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa
- Europe dominated the market in 2020. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. Implementation of stringent regulations regarding carbon emission is driving the market in the region. Currently, three direct air carbon capture plants are operational in Europe.
- Switzerland-based Climeworks is the first company to build the direct air carbon capture plant. The company aims to capture 1% of global CO2 emissions by 2025. In 2017, the company opened the first direct air capture plant in Zurich, Switzerland. The plant is capable of capturing 900 metric tons of carbon annually. The carbon dioxide captured was fed to a greenhouse, which boosted the growth of the plants inside it. In the same year, the company opened the second plant in collaboration with Reykjavik Energy in Iceland to capture CO2 from ambient air and store it permanently underground as minerals in basalt rock formations.
Key Manufacturers Operating in Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market
The global direct air carbon capture technology market was consolidated in 2020. Major players have prominent presence in developed and developing countries. Key manufacturers operating in the global direct air carbon capture technology market include:
- Carbon Engineering, Ltd.
- Skytree
- Climeworks AG
- Soletair Power
- Global Thermostat
- National Energy Technology Laboratory
- Synhelion
- Sunfire GmbH
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market: Research Scope
Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market, by Number of Collectors
- Less than 10 collectors
- More than 10 collectors
Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market, by Application
- Enhance Oil Recovery (EOR)
- Industrial
- Agriculture
- Others
Global Direct Air Carbon Capture Technology Market, by Region
- North America
- Europe
- Germany
- U.K.
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Russia & CIS
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- ASEAN
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
- GCC
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East & Africa
