Why is Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology becoming so popular?

The need for urgent climate action

Greenhouse gases have adversely impacted the climatic condition due to which there has been an increase in the number of disasters such as thunderstorms, floods, land sliding, and wildfires. People have started to adopt a greener and environmentally friendly approach in order to deal with carbon dioxide emission. Electric vehicles and solar panels have become more popular. We have also seen a decrease in deforestation and a rise in reforestation programs. Trees and plants play a major role in absorbing the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. However, this is not enough to control the level of greenhouse gases and we have to think of other alternatives.

A solution for the climate change

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a new technology and a wiser option which performs the same role as plants and trees and also requires less land. It traps the excess carbon dioxide from the air through chemical reactions. As the atmospheric air moves along, some chemicals react and capture carbon dioxide from it while other components are free to pass. In this whole process liquid solvents or sometimes solid sorbents are used to trap the gas. Later, with the help of heating carbon dioxide is separated from the solvent or the sorbent. This reduces the concentration of carbon dioxide from the air and the excess is stored deep underground. It is interesting to note that only renewable energy such as the energy from waste is required in this process.

3 key benefits of Direct Air Capture are as follows:

Efficient land utilization: Unlike other techniques, very less space or land is needed for the installation of DAC plants. For example, a space of 0.42 acres is required for one plant which can reduce up to four thousand tons of carbon dioxide per year. This method is comparatively more effective and feasible than trees. A total of 220 trees can be planted in the same space which will accumulate or trap just 4.62 tons of gas each year.

Plants are not location specific: Wherever you go, the concentration of carbon dioxide will remain the same in the air. So DAC plants can be installed at any place without considering the source of emission. But there has to be a renewable energy source near it and also an area where you can store the gas.

Scalability and Measurability: The DAC machines are designed to perfection and made on the basis of modular technology, so it has the element of scalability. These plants also allow you to measure the amount of carbon dioxide which they trap.

The aim is to halve the emission of carbon dioxide by the year 2030 with the help of new technologies. However, DAC requires massive amounts of energy in order to perform its functions smoothly and effectively.