

Large companies hope to use this technology to offset the amount of carbon dioxide they’ve released into the atmosphere through their operations. This project is funded by donors who can pay for Climeworks to capture each ton of CO2 for about $600. Orca’s location in Hellisheidi, Iceland, has access to geothermal energy, which makes it possible for the carbon capture process to re-emit only 10% of the carbon dioxide it gathers from the atmosphere. The extracted CO2 is mixed with water in a nearby facility before being sent deep underground.

Then, each unit is heated, pulling the CO2 out of the air. Air moves into the units through the fans and CO2 is collected on a special filter. The compound is surprisingly compact, resembling four stacked shipping containers with fans to capture CO2. Each year, this plant will capture 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it underground, where it will mineralize into porous basalt rock. Orca’s carbon capture technology works by combining a filter system with a procedure that pumps collected carbon dioxide deep underground. Related: Alternative Energy Inventions: Soil Powered Lamp However, its use has evolved significantly over time, and it’s just over the last 40 years that this tech has been adapted for environmental purposes. The technology used for carbon capture has been in development for 100 years. Its goal is to pull carbon dioxide out of the air and then either store it safely or reuse it as a product that can be sold. However, many major industries rely on burning fossil fuels, which put carbon dioxide into the air.Ĭarbon capture is another kind of technology that reduces CO2 levels from another angle. Most scientists believe the additional heat from CO2 in the atmosphere is negatively impacting ecosystems and plant life across the globe.Īs people have become more concerned about the effects of CO2 on the planet, they’ve focused on developing technologies that can reduce total carbon emissions. Of this amount, the planet naturally absorbs roughly half, leaving the other half in the atmosphere.Ĭarbon dioxide (CO2) is known as a greenhouse gas because it traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s, humans have released 375 billion tons of carbon dioxide into Earth’s atmosphere. Here’s everything you need to know about the Orca carbon capture plant. This technology has exciting implications for environmental health and sustainable industry. Named Orca after the Icelandic word for energy, this plant permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and securely stores it underground. In September 2021, the Swiss company Climeworks opened the first carbon capture plant in Iceland.
