DOE, Direct Air Capture: Carbon Utilization

The DOE Office of Carbon Management Technologies has two groups: Point Source Capture and Removal and Utilization. CCUS is critical to address climate challenge. Reaching net zero will be nearly impossible without CCUS. DOE FE is now DOE FECM. Carbon management seeks 50% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Carbon free electric generation is hoped for by 2035. Carbon management goes beyond fossil energy. There are 7 priority areas. A strategic vision document on carbon management has been issued.

For Direct Air Capture (DAC), $3.5 billion has been allocated to regional DAC hubs. There are also prize competitions totaling $115 million. Storage validation and verification has several billion dollars. Relative to 45Q, the DAC threshold for CO2 capture has been reduced to 1,000 ton/yr. Thresholds were reduced for electric generation and other facilities as well. There is an international mission to catalyze carbon dioxide removal worldwide. The US, Canada, and Saudi Arabia are co-leads. There are a number of international support groups. Reactive capture and conversion can comprise integration of separation and conversion using fewer steps. The idea is to make of the captured CO2 as it is captured, as opposed to releasing and purifying the CO2 and then directing it to a utilization process. There are DAC prizes for pre-commercial air capture processes. These processes are most likely bench scale and total $15 million. There is also a commercial DAC prize for projects that are large scale and total $100 million.

Amishi Kumar Claros, DOE