Direct air capture (DAC) refers to technologies that remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. DAC helps combat climate change by offsetting emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality or even net negative emissions.

DAC is valuable because it deals with the main cause of global warming: the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To keep global warming to under 1.5°C by 2100, the IPCC reported in April 2022 that carbon removal technologies like DAC are necessary (along with emissions reductions) to achieve climate goals. 

Our machines use solid sorbents to capture CO₂ via a process called temperature-vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA). In the adsorption step, fans pull air through the system, and the sorbents collect CO₂ until they are full. In the desorption step, they are heated to release the CO₂. A vacuum pump removes the released CO₂ for processing or storage. After this, the sorbents are cooled and are ready to collect CO₂ again.

TVSA is a long-standing method for industrial gas separation that we have adapted to efficiently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The CO₂ we capture is injected deep underground for sequestration via Class VI injection wells. 

When carbon dioxide is injected into Class VI wells, it is sent deep underground into suitable geological formations such as deep saline aquifers capped by hundreds of feet of impermeable rock that prevents CO₂ from ever migrating to the surface. Storing carbon dioxide in Class VI wells is considered permanent because of the nature of the geological formations where the wells are located.

The EPA established its Class VI well classifications specifically for carbon sequestration; companies who seek a Class VI permit must meet stringent regulatory requirements to ensure the safety and effectiveness of long-term carbon dioxide storage.

A carbon removal credit represents the permanent removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon removal credits are purchased by individuals and organizations that seek to offset their unavoidable or legacy emissions.

Project Bison, our Wyoming-based direct air capture facility, will use our modular DAC systems to filter carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The captured CO₂ will then be permanently stored by sequestering it in deep saline aquifers via Class VI injection wells. One carbon credit generated for each ton of CO₂ removed and sequestered. 

Planting and safeguarding trees plays a critical role in the battle against climate change. But relying solely on trees is no longer sufficient, there just isn’t enough land. Further, climate change has resulted in droughts and wildfires — disruptions that have significantly impacted the dependability and long-term durability of tree-based carbon removal. Consequently, we must pursue a two-pronged approach: intensify nature-based carbon removal initiatives like afforestation while also scaling innovative technologies like direct air capture.

On an annual average basis, carbon dioxide is well-mixed throughout the atmosphere, so there’s little variation from place to place. (According to NOAA’s Global Monitoring Lab, the average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2022 was 417 parts per million.) This means that we can situate our DAC facilities to optimize for other requirements, such as availability of permanent storage, clean energy, inexpensive land, etc.

In order to achieve international climate targets, we must do everything we can to reduce emissions immediately. Unfortunately, point source carbon capture and other means of reducing industrial emissions won’t get us to net zero on their own. To keep global warming to under 1.5°C by 2100, the IPCC stated in April 2022 that carbon removal technologies like DAC are necessary to address historical emissions as well as provide a high-quality option for offsetting unavoidable emissions. 

Your support has a huge impact. Early purchases of nascent technologies like DAC carbon removal credits play a vital role in scaling up the technology by providing financial certainty that enables long-term planning and encourages rapid innovation and technology improvements. Early buyers are vital to bring down costs of DAC in the future so that the DAC industry can expand to meet our climate change goals.

Our credits will be certified under an International Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Accreditation (ICROA) compliant standard. ICROA is a leading industry accreditation program committed to enhancing integrity in the voluntary carbon market in support of the IPCC 2015 Paris Agreement goals. ICROA certifies best practices in greenhouse gas emissions reduction and offsetting. A third-party auditor will certify that 1) the credits we deliver meet the ICROA standard, 2) that a credit has not been sold more than once, and 3) that our project has not had unexpected leakages.

We are currently taking advance commitments for credits that will be generated in 2026 and beyond (we’ve sold out earlier years).

When your DAC carbon removal credits have been generated, we will provide you with a certificate as well as a report that documents the amount of net carbon dioxide captured and sequestered, a full accounting of any emissions created as a result of our processes, and a verification that no leakages have occurred.

We're based in Los Angeles, California, where we’re building our team and developing our direct air capture technology. Our first large-scale carbon removal project is in Southwest Wyoming.