Direct Air Capture DAC

Fossil fuels still account for almost 80 per cent of the primary energy consumed in Germany, leading to a steadily increasing concentration of CO₂ in the earth’s atmosphere and ultimately to a rise in global temperatures. Future emissions must therefore be avoided and measures must be taken to achieve a balance and to offset emissions which have been unavoidable until now. The direct air capture technology which has been developed makes it possible to extract carbon dioxide from the ambient air in order to use it as a raw material or alternatively to remove it from the cycle by storing it. The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg - ZSW) has been conducting research into direct air capture (DAC) for many years and has demonstrated the feasibility of cost-effective, robust and easily scalable DAC processes. The aim of the current “DAC-BW” project is to put in place an industrial and competitive DAC production process with added value from Baden-Württemberg. One initiative to this end will be an industry-wide discussion which will involve approaching relevant enterprises at state level with a view to convincing them of the technology and cultivating skills in components and subsystems. There are also plans to establish DAC development and production operations in Baden-Württemberg by transferring this technology to industry.