Next-generation technology powers Climeworks’ megaton jump

Climeworks is future-proofing its technology for global scale-up to gigaton carbon removal with the latest R&D insights in its filter materials and plant design. At the annual Carbon Removal Summit in Zurich, Climeworks is demonstrating the success of its Generation 3 Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology: doubling CO₂ capture capacity per module, halving energy consumption, increasing material life and cutting costs by 50 percent.

Double the power – half the energy

The 3rd generation technology uses new structured sorbent materials replacing the filter beds used in previous generations of technology. The new structures increase the surface contact with CO₂, reduce the time to capture and release CO₂ by at least two times, capturing more than twice the CO₂ than previous filters. The new filter materials use half the energy and are designed to last three times longer than previous materials. The 3rd generation technology represents a major milestone in Climeworks’ cost reduction strategy, which aims to achieve costs of $250-$350 per tonne captured and total costs of $400-$600 per tonne of net removal by 2030. This represents an overall cost reduction of up to 50 percent compared to today.

A lead over the largest test facility

The journey began at Climeworks’ small and medium-sized test facilities in Zurich, where the new technology was perfected before being tested at Climeworks’ large test facility in Basel, Switzerland.

Climeworks has a research and development team of 180 people, including 50 specialists dedicated to the development of 3rd generation technology. These specialists have accumulated 15,000 hours of testing new sorbent materials and performed 5,000 CO₂ capture and release cycles to optimize system life and efficiency. Climeworks has transformed its collection concept from traditional collapsible collection containers into elegant modular cubes. These dice have been redesigned to increase capture efficiency, reduce cost, and increase robustness. They each measure 26 by 26 meters and measure 22.5 meters in height (85 by 85 feet by 73 feet).

Leading the way in innovation: megaton rounds in the US and beyond

The first plant using this new technology generation, including a new die design, will be built in Louisiana as part of the megaton “Project Cypress DAC Hub” funded by the US Department of Energy. Construction is slated to begin in 2026 and would mark another tenfold step toward megaton capacity. In addition, Climeworks is part of two other megaton hub proposals in the US and is actively developing projects in Norway, Kenya and Canada, as well as exploring other locations on its path to gigaton capacity.

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