Context:
Recently, the world’s largest facility designed to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere started operations in Iceland.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
About Mammoth Carbon Capture Plant:
- Size and Location: The Mammoth carbon capture plant is the largest facility of its kind and is situated on a dormant volcano in Iceland.
- Operational Launch: Recently launched into operation, Mammoth is renowned for its capacity to capture carbon dioxide.
- Significance: Referred to as “Mammoth,” this plant marks Climeworks’ second commercial direct air capture (DAC) facility in Iceland and surpasses the scale of its predecessor, Orca, initiated in 2021.
Functionality:
- The plant employs advanced technology to draw in air and chemically extract carbon dioxide from it.
- Extracted carbon dioxide can be stored underground, converted into stone, or repurposed for various applications.
- Partnership: Climeworks collaborates with Icelandic company Carbfix to sequester captured carbon by transforming it into stone beneath the Earth’s surface, leveraging Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy to power the process.
What is Direct Air Capture?
- Definition: Direct air capture (DAC) is a technology designed to extract carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, regardless of location.
- Differentiation: Unlike traditional carbon capture methods, which are typically deployed at emission points like industrial plants, DAC enables CO2 extraction from any location.
- Carbon Utilization: Captured CO2 can be permanently stored in deep geological formations or utilized for various purposes, offering flexibility in carbon management strategies.
-Source: Down To Earth
