Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies

This study deals with the question which direct air capture technologies currently have the biggest potential for reaching a gigaton scale of capture capacity. Technologies that were examined are alkaline gas washing, temperature-vacuum swing adsorption, electro-swing adsorption, and accelerated wea...

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Main Authors: Robin Koch, Roland Dittmeyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Climate
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2025.1558396/full
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author Robin Koch
Robin Koch
Roland Dittmeyer
author_facet Robin Koch
Robin Koch
Roland Dittmeyer
author_sort Robin Koch
collection DOAJ
description This study deals with the question which direct air capture technologies currently have the biggest potential for reaching a gigaton scale of capture capacity. Technologies that were examined are alkaline gas washing, temperature-vacuum swing adsorption, electro-swing adsorption, and accelerated weathering carbon capture. A multi-criteria decision-making model (PROMETHEE II) and cost predictions based on learning by doing were used to determine which technology has the highest potential. The results show that electro-swing adsorption has the highest potential but comes with a lot of uncertainties that need to be cleared in the future, such as costs and supply for adsorbents. In addition, it was not tested under ambient conditions, and therefore, it is unclear how this technology will perform at atmospheric CO2 levels. Next best would be accelerated weathering carbon capture, which needs no fresh water and has lower energy demand compared to temperature-vacuum swing adsorption. A major disadvantage might be the land requirements and the high temperatures to regenerate the carbonates. Temperature-vacuum swing adsorption follows shortly after, mainly profiting from a great cost reduction potential from learning by doing and a comparably small land footprint. Alkaline gas washing showed the lowest potential, but through improving the process, it will also have the possibility to be applied at gigaton scale.
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spelling doaj-art-af7ef531db9f4bce85c1337edd3bcb172025-08-20T03:06:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Climate2624-95532025-04-01710.3389/fclim.2025.15583961558396Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologiesRobin Koch0Robin Koch1Roland Dittmeyer2Mercedes-Benz AG, Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute for Micro Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute for Micro Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, GermanyThis study deals with the question which direct air capture technologies currently have the biggest potential for reaching a gigaton scale of capture capacity. Technologies that were examined are alkaline gas washing, temperature-vacuum swing adsorption, electro-swing adsorption, and accelerated weathering carbon capture. A multi-criteria decision-making model (PROMETHEE II) and cost predictions based on learning by doing were used to determine which technology has the highest potential. The results show that electro-swing adsorption has the highest potential but comes with a lot of uncertainties that need to be cleared in the future, such as costs and supply for adsorbents. In addition, it was not tested under ambient conditions, and therefore, it is unclear how this technology will perform at atmospheric CO2 levels. Next best would be accelerated weathering carbon capture, which needs no fresh water and has lower energy demand compared to temperature-vacuum swing adsorption. A major disadvantage might be the land requirements and the high temperatures to regenerate the carbonates. Temperature-vacuum swing adsorption follows shortly after, mainly profiting from a great cost reduction potential from learning by doing and a comparably small land footprint. Alkaline gas washing showed the lowest potential, but through improving the process, it will also have the possibility to be applied at gigaton scale.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2025.1558396/fulldirect air capturetemperature-vacuum swing adsorptionalkaline gas washingelectro-swing adsorptionindustrializationmulti-criteria decision-making
spellingShingle Robin Koch
Robin Koch
Roland Dittmeyer
Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
Frontiers in Climate
direct air capture
temperature-vacuum swing adsorption
alkaline gas washing
electro-swing adsorption
industrialization
multi-criteria decision-making
title Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
title_full Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
title_fullStr Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
title_full_unstemmed Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
title_short Comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
title_sort comparative analysis of industrialization potentials of direct air capture technologies
topic direct air capture
temperature-vacuum swing adsorption
alkaline gas washing
electro-swing adsorption
industrialization
multi-criteria decision-making
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2025.1558396/full
work_keys_str_mv AT robinkoch comparativeanalysisofindustrializationpotentialsofdirectaircapturetechnologies
AT robinkoch comparativeanalysisofindustrializationpotentialsofdirectaircapturetechnologies
AT rolanddittmeyer comparativeanalysisofindustrializationpotentialsofdirectaircapturetechnologies