Although nations around the globe have committed to lowering their carbon emissions, last year saw record-breaking pollution levels, meaning these efforts have fallen well short of their targets.
Addressing this deficit will require extracting carbon directly from the air—a process that is currently quite costly, largely due to the substantial energy it consumes. Once direct air capture technology has matured and expanded, it’s anticipated that about 2,000 kWh of energy will be needed to remove each metric ton of CO2.
However, a startup named DACLab claims it can already do this more efficiently. “We have information showing we can achieve this at 1,500 kilowatt hours per [metric] ton,” said DACLab co-founder and CEO Aditya Bhandari in a statement to TechCrunch.
DACLab, which has been quietly developing its technology for four years, is now emerging with a $3 million seed investment, the company told TechCrunch. The funding round was headed by Peter Relan, an early backer of Discord, with additional support from Dave Roux, co-founder of Silver Lake, Jane Woodward of WovenEarth Ventures, and other participants.
Most direct air capture approaches work by passing air over a solid substance that absorbs carbon dioxide. As the absorbent material becomes saturated, the CO2 must be separated and moved elsewhere for storage. This release process generally consumes a significant amount of energy, often requiring temperatures between 80°C and 120°C. (The use of liquid sorbents demands even greater heat.)
To keep building costs lower, many companies combine the capture and release stages within a single unit. DACLab’s approach is different—they separate these steps, with carbon captured in one location and released in another. According to Bhandari, the temperature needed for the solid sorbent is about 70°C, which is comparatively low.
This two-part configuration is ordinarily found in industrial settings, where exhaust streams are more concentrated. DACLab’s system is adapted from such industrial models. (A similar split design was used by Global Thermostat, a startup that was recently dismantled and sold for parts.)
The foundation of DACLab’s technology comes from TU Wien in Austria, where a collaboration with Shell resulted in a point-source carbon capture installation that operated for nearly three years. “That’s quite uncommon, especially when compared to most other direct capture research groups,” Bhandari commented, adding that it was the largest facility of its kind in Austria at the time.
DACLab has since adapted this system for direct air capture. The company has constructed two units, each able to remove 100 metric tons of carbon annually, with plans to develop larger models with capacities of 1,000 and 5,000 metric tons per year. The 1,000-ton version will first be set up in Washington state, while the 5,000-ton unit is headed for Kenya.
According to Bhandari, the company sells its 100-metric ton model for just under $500,000. Ultimately, DACLab hopes to supply their units to oil and gas operators, developers of carbon projects, and producers of e-fuels for aviation.
In the end, the future cost of carbon removal will largely be determined by its energy demands. DACLab aims to cut this further, targeting energy use of below 1,000 kWh for each metric ton. Should this be achieved, the company estimates it can capture carbon for $250 per metric ton.
“We’re not claiming to be one of those direct air capture companies guaranteeing $100 per [metric] ton today,” Bhandari said. “But we hope to give this essential sector a fresh start, since it’s currently plagued by, in my opinion, a lot of empty assurances.”
Correction: Experts predict that DAC will consume approximately 2,000 kWh of combined heat and electricity.
