Climeworks launched in 2009 in Switzerland with the aim of pulling CO2 directly from the air. The initiative has moved beyond a concept and is now scaling its carbon capture technologies to improve efficiency. A new station in Iceland is under construction, drawing attention for its bold design and potential impact on climate tech.
Orca has stood as one of the most prominent direct air capture facilities, with the capability to remove about 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually—roughly equal to the emissions from 790 cars. The project proved that large-scale direct air capture could work in practice and has become a reference point for future research and development in this field.
The Orca station began operating in September 2021 and has served as a key site for weather monitoring and performance testing as researchers measure technology readiness under real-world conditions.
Looking ahead, a more powerful iteration is expected to come online in the coming months. The upgraded system is projected to capture nine times more CO2 than Orca, marking a substantial advance for direct air capture technology.
There are already 20 around the world
The International Energy Agency notes that roughly 20 direct air capture plants are in operation globally. While this number is growing, the immediate impact on reducing atmospheric CO2 remains modest. Progress is evident, but these facilities do not yet deliver a comprehensive solution to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities.
According to the agency, achieving meaningful environmental effect would require a fleet of facilities capable of absorbing around 85 million tons of CO2. With 20 plants in operation, including the Mammoth system, total capacity runs about 0.01 million tons per year—well below the target and highlighting the gap between ambition and measurable climate benefits.
An image showing a CO2 capture station from the air illustrates ongoing research and development efforts. These installations form part of a broader push to test scalable methods for removing CO2 from the atmosphere, while balancing energy use and environmental considerations.
To effectively reduce greenhouse gases, plants would need to operate at much larger scales, each absorbing around one million tons of CO2 annually. The Mammoth system, for example, targets roughly 36,000 tons per year. This demonstrates a significant technological advance, yet also underscores how far the field remains from the high benchmarks set by researchers and policymakers.
A central challenge for air capture is energy demand. The most efficient facilities, including Orca and Mammoth, are located near renewable energy sources, such as geothermal resources in Iceland’s Hellisheiði field, enabling power for operations with minimal emissions from the energy supply. This alignment helps ensure the capture process itself does not generate more emissions than it removes, a critical concern for the climate benefits of the approach. Without access to renewable energy, the balance between capturing CO2 and producing emissions could undermine the technology’s value.
Significant experimentation and evaluation continue as scientists and engineers refine materials, process conditions, and integration with energy systems. The field remains exploratory, with ongoing discussions about cost, scalability, and real-world effectiveness across varied locations and energy landscapes.
Regarding oversight and data, many details come from national and international energy agencies that monitor progress and publish assessments to guide policy and investment decisions in clean tech and climate strategies.