The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum created to suck climate pollution out of the air is reported to have begun operating in Iceland on Wednesday, July 10.
Manufactured by Climeworks, the Mammoth plant will eventually be able to capture 36,000 tons of carbon from the air. Climeworks started building this Mammoth in June 2022.
The modular design you described allows for flexibility and scalability in carbon capture technology. By having space for 72 “collector containers,” the system can be easily expanded or adjusted as needed.
The current setup with 12 containers indicates the system is in an initial phase, with more containers to be added gradually. This modularity makes it easier to increase capacity and maintain the system.
Climeworks’ “Mammoth” represents a significant advancement in direct air capture technology, ten times larger than its predecessor, “Orca.”
The increased capacity of Mammoth underscores the company’s commitment to scaling up efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. By building on the success and lessons learned from Orca, Climeworks aims to enhance the efficiency and impact of its carbon capture operations.
How it works?
Direct air capture, or DAC, is a technology designed to suck in air and strip out the carbon using chemicals. The carbon can then be injected deep beneath the ground, reused or transformed into solid products.
Climeworks plans to transport the carbon underground where it will be naturally transformed into stone, locking up the carbon permanently.
It is partnering with Icelandic company Carbfix for this so-called sequestration process.
Iceland’s abundant, clean geothermal energy will power the whole operation.