Tenfold increase to CO2 capture and storage at Hellisheidi geothermal plant
Announced late last month, Climeworks‘ new direct air capture plant at the Hellisheidi geothermal plant in Iceland, built in collaboration with Carbfix and ON Power, will bring a tenfold increase to the current CO2 capture and storage capacity at the site. The new plant adds to the capacity of Climeworks‘ ..Read more
Announced late last month, Climeworks‘ new direct air capture plant at the Hellisheidi geothermal plant in Iceland, built in collaboration with Carbfix and ON Power, will bring a tenfold increase to the current CO2 capture and storage capacity at the site. The new plant adds to the capacity of Climeworks‘ Orca plant, which commenced operations in September 2021, the first of its kind in the world. The new plant, called Mammoth, has a nominal direct air capture capacity of 36,000 tons per year; bringing the capacity at Hellisheiði from 4,000 tons with Orca to a total of 40,000 tons per year. The captured CO2 is then mineralized underground using the Carbfix technology. The construction of Mammoth has commenced, and the plant is expected to start operating in 18-24 months. “Today is a very important day for Climeworks and for the industry as construction begins on our newest, large-scale direct air capture and storage plant,” said Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder, and co-CEO of Climeworks. “With Mammoth, we can leverage our ability to quickly multiply our modular technology and significantly scale our operations. We are building the foundation for a climate-relevant gigaton-scale capacity, and we are starting deployment now to remain on track for this.” Mammoth is Climeworks’ 18th project and its second commercial direct air capture and storage plant. Climeworks’ process can also be applied in other areas around the world where renewable energy and geologic storage options are available. The company is already exploring further locations around the world with pilot projects.