280 Earth starts up DAC plant in Oregon, targets 5,000 tonnes annually

280 Earth has started operations at its new direct air capture (DAC) facility in Oregon, with plans to scale up production to capture 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per annum further down the line.

The plant will initially capture up to 500 tonnes per annum of CO2, in addition to water from ambient air. Once captured, the CO2 will be liquefied for sequestration or utilisation. The water can be used for cooling or other end uses.

Eventually, 280 Earth hopes scale up its technology and progress towards the capture of 5,000 tonnes per annum of CO2 at the facility.

Located in The Dalles, the DAC site further maximises environmental benefits by using electricity with very low carbon content, principally from hydropower on the local grid.

The company’s low-temperature desorption process can also minimise energy consumption by utilising waste heat from nearby third-party industrial processes.

John Pimentel, CEO of 280 Earth, believes that the company’s technology will be a key contributor to the portfolio of solutions necessary to reduce CO2 in our atmosphere.

280 Earth’s facility is the result of several years of research and development by X, the Moonshot Facility, and Alphabet’s innovation lab to grow and commercialise the DAC technology.

Jacques Gagne, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of 280 Earth, said, “Our first DAC project deploys a very energy efficient process to capture CO2 directly from the air. As a result, our net carbon benefit will be among the best in the rapidly developing industry.”

To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the International Energy Agency believes that DAC will need to capture more than 980 megatonnes of CO2 a year by 2050.