Energy Requirements & Economics

DAC is energy-intensive because CO₂ is dilute in air. Energy penalty: 1.2-2.5 GJ thermal energy per ton CO₂ captured (liquid solvents need 1.8 GJ, solid sorbents 2.0 GJ, electrochemical 1.2 GJ as electricity). For context, that's 300-700 kWh—equivalent to an EV driving 1,000-2,300 miles. A 1 Mt/year plant needs ~500 GWh/year—the output of a 60 MW power plant running continuously. Capital costs dominate: Current estimates are $600-$2,000 per ton CO₂ captured per year capacity (capex/capacity). A 1 Mt/year facility costs $600M-$2B to build. Annualized over 10 years at 8% discount: $90-$300M/year. Operating costs: Energy ($20-$80/t depending on source—natural gas cheaper but emits CO₂, renewables cleaner but costlier), labor/maintenance ($50-$150/t), sorbent replacement ($10-$50/t), transport/storage ($10-$20/t). Total OPEX: $100-$400/t. All-in cost today: $250-$600/t CO₂ removed. Carbon Engineering claims $94-$232/t at scale with optimizations; Climeworks currently $600-$1,000/t but targeting $200/t by 2030. Compare to: EU carbon price €90/t (~$100/t), US 45Q tax credit $180/t for sequestration, $130/t for utilization. Cost reduction pathways: Scale (10x scale → 30-50% cost reduction via manufacturing learning curves), energy (shift to renewables + waste heat reduces OPEX 20-40%), sorbent lifetime (double sorbent cycles → 15% cost reduction), modular design (factory manufacturing vs field construction saves 10-20%). Industry targets $100/t by 2030, $50/t by 2050—making DAC competitive with other mitigation options.