Iceland’s Mammoth: A glimmer of hope, a mountain to climb in carbon capture

High above the stark lava fields of Iceland, a quiet revolution is brewing. Mammoth, the world’s largest operational direct air capture (DAC) plant, stands as a testament to human ingenuity in the face of the climate crisis. Built by Climeworks, a Swiss company at the forefront of carbon capturing technology, Mammoth isn’t just sucking in air – it’s offering a glimmer of hope for a cleaner future.

But hope, in this case, comes with a hefty dose of reality. While Mammoth boasts the ability to remove 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere annually, that number pales in comparison to the scale of the problem. Billions of tons of CO2 need to be captured every year to truly make a dent in climate change. 

The technology itself is a marvel of simplicity. Mammoth uses colossal fans to draw in air, which then passes through a sophisticated filtration system designed to capture CO2 molecules with laser focus. But what truly sets Mammoth apart is its location. Iceland’s unique geological landscape, shaped by millennia of volcanic activity, provides the perfect stage for the captured CO2’s next act. Once separated from the air, the CO2 is injected deep underground, where it undergoes a remarkable transformation. Reacting with the surrounding rock formations, the CO2 is essentially turned into stone, effectively removing it from the atmospheric equation for millennia to come.

However, the path to a future where Mammoth-like plants become commonplace is fraught with challenges. The biggest hurdle? Cost.  Extracting CO2 from the air using DAC technology currently comes with a hefty price tag of around $1,000 per ton. This astronomical cost makes it difficult to justify on a large scale. Additionally, some environmental groups express concern that focusing on DAC might create a moral hazard, diverting resources and attention away from the crucial task of reducing emissions at the source, like transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Despite the challenges, Climeworks remains undeterred. Their vision for the future is ambitious, aiming to scale up their operations tenfold by 2030, reaching a capacity of removing 1 million tons of CO2 annually. By 2050, they aim to reach a staggering 1 billion tons removed. Achieving this will require building similar plants across the globe and bringing down the cost per ton to a much more manageable $100.

The Mammoth plant is a significant milestone in the development of direct air capture technology and a crucial step forward in the fight against climate change. As the world continues to burn fossil fuels, technologies like DAC will play an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. For industries with unavoidable emissions, DAC offers a valuable tool to offset their carbon footprint. While Mammoth itself might not be the solution, it’s a significant step forward, a beacon of hope on a long and arduous climb towards a cleaner future.