Will Direct-Air Carbon Capture Be Viable?

<p>Carbon capture has long been criticized as too nascent, too expensive, and too distracting. Is that changing?</p><p>This month, the Swiss company Climeworks <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-09-08/inside-the-world-s-largest-direct-carbon-capture-plant?sref=wINQCNXe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">officially launched</a> a direct-air capture plant in Iceland, called Orca.&nbsp;</p><p>The company has already signed deals with SwissRe, Bill Gates, Stripe, and Shopify to sell them credits from the plant. But the tech is still pretty expensive and relatively small scale.&nbsp;</p><p>Climeworks wants to build megaton-scale plants by the end of the decade. Lots of other plants are in the works. So what does this commercial launch signal for the carbon-capture industry?&nbsp;</p><p>Plus, <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-ditch-90-of-worlds-coal-and-60-of-oil-and-gas-to-limit-warming-to-1-5-c-experts-167494" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new research</a> shows just how drastically we need to slash fossil fuels to limit dangerous warming.&nbsp;</p><p>And, California <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/climate/recycling-california.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tries to fix</a> the busted recycling system with a “truth in advertising” law aimed at plastics companies.</p><p><em>The Energy Gang is a Wood Mackenzie podcast.</em></p><p><em>The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow. As a leading provider of PV inverter solutions across the world, Sungrow has delivered more than 10 gigawatts of inverters to the Americas alone and 154 gigawatts in total across the globe. Email them to learn more.</em></p><p><em>The Energy Gang is brought to you by S&amp;C Electric Company. Today, non-wires alternatives such as microgrids can provide more sustainable, resilient and economical ways to deliver reliable power. S&amp;C helps utilities and commercial customers find the best solutions to meet their energy needs. </em><a href="http://sandc