Engineered
Direct air capture
Direct air capture (DAC) projects involve mechanical and chemical systems that remove and concentrate CO₂ from ambient air. This CO₂ is then disposed of in a long-term carbon sink or used as a feedstock. DAC projects typically do not require rare or critical materials and could be sited in many geographies, including near CO₂ storage resources and low-cost or stranded low-carbon energy assets. Net-negative DAC projects rely on large amounts of low-carbon energy, both heat and electricity, which may limit the speed and scale of deployment.
Engineered
Direct air capture
Direct air capture (DAC) projects involve mechanical and chemical systems that remove and concentrate CO₂ from ambient air. This CO₂ is then disposed of in a long-term carbon sink or used as a feedstock. DAC projects typically do not require rare or critical materials and could be sited in many geographies, including near CO₂ storage resources and low-cost or stranded low-carbon energy assets. Net-negative DAC projects rely on large amounts of low-carbon energy, both heat and electricity, which may limit the speed and scale of deployment.
Engineered
Direct air capture
Direct air capture (DAC) projects involve mechanical and chemical systems that remove and concentrate CO₂ from ambient air. This CO₂ is then disposed of in a long-term carbon sink or used as a feedstock. DAC projects typically do not require rare or critical materials and could be sited in many geographies, including near CO₂ storage resources and low-cost or stranded low-carbon energy assets. Net-negative DAC projects rely on large amounts of low-carbon energy, both heat and electricity, which may limit the speed and scale of deployment.
Direct air capture
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify potential impacts from sorbent or solvent slip downwind of the facility, even if the project is compliant with general health and safety guidelines and all applicable local/regional regulations.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Avoid developing, disturbing, or restricting access to land legally designated as culturally sensitive or ecologically important by community members or local stakeholders. This includes land the project directly uses for DAC facilities, renewable energy installations to power DAC facilities, or other utilities required for operations (e.g., local water resources, land for CO₂ transport, land for geological storage).
Prevent community displacement by ensuring that any new or expanded pipelines, roads, wells, or other infrastructure do not inequitably impact historically disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts on local communities from increased water consumption. These impacts may include increased water and wastewater treatment prices and/or decreased local water quality, including discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Document all land-use changes required for project deployment, including any new infrastructure.
Project developers should
Minimize the need for new inputs (e.g., energy, construction materials, sorbents/solvents) by monitoring and improving material and process efficiency, including application of best practices in reuse and circularity.
Prioritize material sourcing that minimizes disproportionate impacts on frontline communities.
Actively promote long-term economic opportunities for local communities by providing training programs that implement a pipeline of local workers skilled at DAC management and operation.
Minimize land-use changes that could have negative community consequences, including any new infrastructure required for project deployment.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify potential impacts from sorbent or solvent slip downwind of the facility, even if the project is compliant with general health and safety guidelines and all applicable local/regional regulations.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Avoid developing, disturbing, or restricting access to land legally designated as culturally sensitive or ecologically important by community members or local stakeholders. This includes land the project directly uses for DAC facilities, renewable energy installations to power DAC facilities, or other utilities required for operations (e.g., local water resources, land for CO₂ transport, land for geological storage).
Prevent community displacement by ensuring that any new or expanded pipelines, roads, wells, or other infrastructure do not inequitably impact historically disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts on local communities from increased water consumption. These impacts may include increased water and wastewater treatment prices and/or decreased local water quality, including discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Document all land-use changes required for project deployment, including any new infrastructure.
Project developers should
Minimize the need for new inputs (e.g., energy, construction materials, sorbents/solvents) by monitoring and improving material and process efficiency, including application of best practices in reuse and circularity.
Prioritize material sourcing that minimizes disproportionate impacts on frontline communities.
Actively promote long-term economic opportunities for local communities by providing training programs that implement a pipeline of local workers skilled at DAC management and operation.
Minimize land-use changes that could have negative community consequences, including any new infrastructure required for project deployment.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify potential impacts from sorbent or solvent slip downwind of the facility, even if the project is compliant with general health and safety guidelines and all applicable local/regional regulations.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Avoid developing, disturbing, or restricting access to land legally designated as culturally sensitive or ecologically important by community members or local stakeholders. This includes land the project directly uses for DAC facilities, renewable energy installations to power DAC facilities, or other utilities required for operations (e.g., local water resources, land for CO₂ transport, land for geological storage).
Prevent community displacement by ensuring that any new or expanded pipelines, roads, wells, or other infrastructure do not inequitably impact historically disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts on local communities from increased water consumption. These impacts may include increased water and wastewater treatment prices and/or decreased local water quality, including discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Document all land-use changes required for project deployment, including any new infrastructure.
Project developers should
Minimize the need for new inputs (e.g., energy, construction materials, sorbents/solvents) by monitoring and improving material and process efficiency, including application of best practices in reuse and circularity.
Prioritize material sourcing that minimizes disproportionate impacts on frontline communities.
Actively promote long-term economic opportunities for local communities by providing training programs that implement a pipeline of local workers skilled at DAC management and operation.
Minimize land-use changes that could have negative community consequences, including any new infrastructure required for project deployment.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify potential impacts from sorbent or solvent slip downwind of the facility, even if the project is compliant with general health and safety guidelines and all applicable local/regional regulations.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Avoid developing, disturbing, or restricting access to land legally designated as culturally sensitive or ecologically important by community members or local stakeholders. This includes land the project directly uses for DAC facilities, renewable energy installations to power DAC facilities, or other utilities required for operations (e.g., local water resources, land for CO₂ transport, land for geological storage).
Prevent community displacement by ensuring that any new or expanded pipelines, roads, wells, or other infrastructure do not inequitably impact historically disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts on local communities from increased water consumption. These impacts may include increased water and wastewater treatment prices and/or decreased local water quality, including discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Document all land-use changes required for project deployment, including any new infrastructure.
Project developers should
Minimize the need for new inputs (e.g., energy, construction materials, sorbents/solvents) by monitoring and improving material and process efficiency, including application of best practices in reuse and circularity.
Prioritize material sourcing that minimizes disproportionate impacts on frontline communities.
Actively promote long-term economic opportunities for local communities by providing training programs that implement a pipeline of local workers skilled at DAC management and operation.
Minimize land-use changes that could have negative community consequences, including any new infrastructure required for project deployment.
Direct air capture
Environmental harms and benefits
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure the amount and type of material released to the air, water, and soil during the project’s construction and startup/commissioning phase, as well as during its steady state operations.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts from increased water consumption, including decreased local water quality due to discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Implement a remediation plan for unintended releases of chemicals to the environment.
Project developers should
Use a global perspective on permitting, to identify the most stringent requirements on environmental impacts (e.g., air emissions, water discharge) as guidance on best practices.
Environmental harms and benefits
Environmental harms and benefits
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure the amount and type of material released to the air, water, and soil during the project’s construction and startup/commissioning phase, as well as during its steady state operations.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts from increased water consumption, including decreased local water quality due to discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Implement a remediation plan for unintended releases of chemicals to the environment.
Project developers should
Use a global perspective on permitting, to identify the most stringent requirements on environmental impacts (e.g., air emissions, water discharge) as guidance on best practices.
Environmental harms and benefits
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure the amount and type of material released to the air, water, and soil during the project’s construction and startup/commissioning phase, as well as during its steady state operations.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts from increased water consumption, including decreased local water quality due to discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Implement a remediation plan for unintended releases of chemicals to the environment.
Project developers should
Use a global perspective on permitting, to identify the most stringent requirements on environmental impacts (e.g., air emissions, water discharge) as guidance on best practices.
Environmental harms and benefits
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure the amount and type of material released to the air, water, and soil during the project’s construction and startup/commissioning phase, as well as during its steady state operations.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts from increased water consumption, including decreased local water quality due to discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Implement a remediation plan for unintended releases of chemicals to the environment.
Project developers should
Use a global perspective on permitting, to identify the most stringent requirements on environmental impacts (e.g., air emissions, water discharge) as guidance on best practices.
Direct air capture
Additionality and baselines
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Explain the economic viability of the project with or without the requested investment and/or CDR procurement, and the role of tax or policy incentives (e.g., the 45Q tax credit the United States or, in some European Union countries, state auctions for carbon removals).
Quantify baseline GHG fluxes and expected GHG fluxes from material and energy consumption, site preparation, carbon storage/utilization, decommissioning, and end-of-life.
Additionality and baselines
Additionality and baselines
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Explain the economic viability of the project with or without the requested investment and/or CDR procurement, and the role of tax or policy incentives (e.g., the 45Q tax credit the United States or, in some European Union countries, state auctions for carbon removals).
Quantify baseline GHG fluxes and expected GHG fluxes from material and energy consumption, site preparation, carbon storage/utilization, decommissioning, and end-of-life.
Additionality and baselines
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Explain the economic viability of the project with or without the requested investment and/or CDR procurement, and the role of tax or policy incentives (e.g., the 45Q tax credit the United States or, in some European Union countries, state auctions for carbon removals).
Quantify baseline GHG fluxes and expected GHG fluxes from material and energy consumption, site preparation, carbon storage/utilization, decommissioning, and end-of-life.
Additionality and baselines
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Explain the economic viability of the project with or without the requested investment and/or CDR procurement, and the role of tax or policy incentives (e.g., the 45Q tax credit the United States or, in some European Union countries, state auctions for carbon removals).
Quantify baseline GHG fluxes and expected GHG fluxes from material and energy consumption, site preparation, carbon storage/utilization, decommissioning, and end-of-life.
Direct air capture
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify potential impacts from sorbent or solvent slip downwind of the facility, even if the project is compliant with general health and safety guidelines and all applicable local/regional regulations.
Articulate a strategy to measure and mitigate any material impacts to air, water, and land quality, including emissions from solvent or sorbent slip and discharge into local air, water, and land.
Avoid developing, disturbing, or restricting access to land legally designated as culturally sensitive or ecologically important by community members or local stakeholders. This includes land the project directly uses for DAC facilities, renewable energy installations to power DAC facilities, or other utilities required for operations (e.g., local water resources, land for CO₂ transport, land for geological storage).
Prevent community displacement by ensuring that any new or expanded pipelines, roads, wells, or other infrastructure do not inequitably impact historically disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Measure and mitigate any adverse impacts on local communities from increased water consumption. These impacts may include increased water and wastewater treatment prices and/or decreased local water quality, including discharges from capture facilities and sorbent/solvent manufacturing facilities.
Document all land-use changes required for project deployment, including any new infrastructure.
Project developers should
Minimize the need for new inputs (e.g., energy, construction materials, sorbents/solvents) by monitoring and improving material and process efficiency, including application of best practices in reuse and circularity.
Prioritize material sourcing that minimizes disproportionate impacts on frontline communities.
Actively promote long-term economic opportunities for local communities by providing training programs that implement a pipeline of local workers skilled at DAC management and operation.
Minimize land-use changes that could have negative community consequences, including any new infrastructure required for project deployment.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA.
Conservatively quantify all life cycle GHG emissions, such as direct and indirect land-use change, concrete and steel production and construction, procurement of capture media and chemicals, disposal of waste products, and energy use during DAC operations.
Include full lifecycle impacts, encompassing both upstream natural gas leakage and downstream usage, in carbon measurement considerations, when a project uses fossil-fuel energy sources.
Measure the relative fraction of atmospheric and fossil CO₂ sent to storage and validate any discrete measurements (e.g., C-14 sampling) with continuous measurements of all carbon flows within the system, including fossil fuel consumption, when projects co-capture fossil and atmospheric CO₂.
Include full lifecycle impacts of the electricity powering operations, including grid-related emissions from grid-connected power purchase and use.
Provide substantive details of the power purchase agreement when purchasing electricity from a grid, including the electricity emissions factor, the latest emissions factor for the local electrical grid, and related RECs.
Present a viable MRV plan that adheres to key regulatory requirements (e.g., Class VI well permits) for any subsurface storage and CO₂ transportation activities that are part of the project.
Model displacement of high carbon-intensity products or processes for DAC projects coupled to CO₂ utilization.
Ensure that removal credits are not double counted against environmental attributes of carbon-containing products, where DAC-sourced CO₂ is used as a feedstock.
Disclose if CO₂ storage is physically connected to a reservoir where CO₂-based enhanced oil recovery is practiced. If so, the project developer must ensure that DAC-based removals are not double counted against oil production with a lower carbon intensity.
Include documentation or the status of permit applications for storage sites.
Design a project that emits less than 0.3 tonnes of fossil GHG emissions per gross tonne CO₂ removed.
Project developers should
Use energy with low associated emissions, ensure the additionality of any low-carbon energy procured, and use advanced carbon accounting methodologies (e.g., temporally aligned power or carbon matching) to estimate the broader emission impacts of a project’s energy procurement.
Ensure new, low-carbon electricity generation is added to the corresponding regional grid (or grid balancing-area) if the project is connected to a grid.
Provide an LCA sensitivity analysis by varying key parameters such as energy and chemicals use.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA.
Conservatively quantify all life cycle GHG emissions, such as direct and indirect land-use change, concrete and steel production and construction, procurement of capture media and chemicals, disposal of waste products, and energy use during DAC operations.
Include full lifecycle impacts, encompassing both upstream natural gas leakage and downstream usage, in carbon measurement considerations, when a project uses fossil-fuel energy sources.
Measure the relative fraction of atmospheric and fossil CO₂ sent to storage and validate any discrete measurements (e.g., C-14 sampling) with continuous measurements of all carbon flows within the system, including fossil fuel consumption, when projects co-capture fossil and atmospheric CO₂.
Include full lifecycle impacts of the electricity powering operations, including grid-related emissions from grid-connected power purchase and use.
Provide substantive details of the power purchase agreement when purchasing electricity from a grid, including the electricity emissions factor, the latest emissions factor for the local electrical grid, and related RECs.
Present a viable MRV plan that adheres to key regulatory requirements (e.g., Class VI well permits) for any subsurface storage and CO₂ transportation activities that are part of the project.
Model displacement of high carbon-intensity products or processes for DAC projects coupled to CO₂ utilization.
Ensure that removal credits are not double counted against environmental attributes of carbon-containing products, where DAC-sourced CO₂ is used as a feedstock.
Disclose if CO₂ storage is physically connected to a reservoir where CO₂-based enhanced oil recovery is practiced. If so, the project developer must ensure that DAC-based removals are not double counted against oil production with a lower carbon intensity.
Include documentation or the status of permit applications for storage sites.
Design a project that emits less than 0.3 tonnes of fossil GHG emissions per gross tonne CO₂ removed.
Project developers should
Use energy with low associated emissions, ensure the additionality of any low-carbon energy procured, and use advanced carbon accounting methodologies (e.g., temporally aligned power or carbon matching) to estimate the broader emission impacts of a project’s energy procurement.
Ensure new, low-carbon electricity generation is added to the corresponding regional grid (or grid balancing-area) if the project is connected to a grid.
Provide an LCA sensitivity analysis by varying key parameters such as energy and chemicals use.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA.
Conservatively quantify all life cycle GHG emissions, such as direct and indirect land-use change, concrete and steel production and construction, procurement of capture media and chemicals, disposal of waste products, and energy use during DAC operations.
Include full lifecycle impacts, encompassing both upstream natural gas leakage and downstream usage, in carbon measurement considerations, when a project uses fossil-fuel energy sources.
Measure the relative fraction of atmospheric and fossil CO₂ sent to storage and validate any discrete measurements (e.g., C-14 sampling) with continuous measurements of all carbon flows within the system, including fossil fuel consumption, when projects co-capture fossil and atmospheric CO₂.
Include full lifecycle impacts of the electricity powering operations, including grid-related emissions from grid-connected power purchase and use.
Provide substantive details of the power purchase agreement when purchasing electricity from a grid, including the electricity emissions factor, the latest emissions factor for the local electrical grid, and related RECs.
Present a viable MRV plan that adheres to key regulatory requirements (e.g., Class VI well permits) for any subsurface storage and CO₂ transportation activities that are part of the project.
Model displacement of high carbon-intensity products or processes for DAC projects coupled to CO₂ utilization.
Ensure that removal credits are not double counted against environmental attributes of carbon-containing products, where DAC-sourced CO₂ is used as a feedstock.
Disclose if CO₂ storage is physically connected to a reservoir where CO₂-based enhanced oil recovery is practiced. If so, the project developer must ensure that DAC-based removals are not double counted against oil production with a lower carbon intensity.
Include documentation or the status of permit applications for storage sites.
Design a project that emits less than 0.3 tonnes of fossil GHG emissions per gross tonne CO₂ removed.
Project developers should
Use energy with low associated emissions, ensure the additionality of any low-carbon energy procured, and use advanced carbon accounting methodologies (e.g., temporally aligned power or carbon matching) to estimate the broader emission impacts of a project’s energy procurement.
Ensure new, low-carbon electricity generation is added to the corresponding regional grid (or grid balancing-area) if the project is connected to a grid.
Provide an LCA sensitivity analysis by varying key parameters such as energy and chemicals use.
Direct air capture
Durability
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use safe and durable geologic storage sites, where applicable, following established permitting processes (e.g., EPA Class VI permitting for deep injection wells in the United States or meet ISO 27914:2017 standard for CO₂ storage).
Demonstrate sufficient CO₂ storage capacity for the entire project lifetime, or sufficient physical CO₂ offtake with credible third-party providers.
Demonstrate sufficient injectivity at the storage site, including well count.
Demonstrate low CO₂ release risk, as estimated by the methodologies outlined in the IPCC AR6 WGIII report, Section 12.3.1.
Implement an MRV plan, consistent with best practices for the chosen storage location, to detect unplanned physical leakage or reversals.
Disclose the use of CO₂ as a feedstock to produce any non-durable product or commodity.
Seek long-term monitoring solutions for storage (e.g. via regulatory take-over as envisioned by the European Union’s CCS Directive.
Durability
Durability
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use safe and durable geologic storage sites, where applicable, following established permitting processes (e.g., EPA Class VI permitting for deep injection wells in the United States or meet ISO 27914:2017 standard for CO₂ storage).
Demonstrate sufficient CO₂ storage capacity for the entire project lifetime, or sufficient physical CO₂ offtake with credible third-party providers.
Demonstrate sufficient injectivity at the storage site, including well count.
Demonstrate low CO₂ release risk, as estimated by the methodologies outlined in the IPCC AR6 WGIII report, Section 12.3.1.
Implement an MRV plan, consistent with best practices for the chosen storage location, to detect unplanned physical leakage or reversals.
Disclose the use of CO₂ as a feedstock to produce any non-durable product or commodity.
Seek long-term monitoring solutions for storage (e.g. via regulatory take-over as envisioned by the European Union’s CCS Directive.
Durability
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use safe and durable geologic storage sites, where applicable, following established permitting processes (e.g., EPA Class VI permitting for deep injection wells in the United States or meet ISO 27914:2017 standard for CO₂ storage).
Demonstrate sufficient CO₂ storage capacity for the entire project lifetime, or sufficient physical CO₂ offtake with credible third-party providers.
Demonstrate sufficient injectivity at the storage site, including well count.
Demonstrate low CO₂ release risk, as estimated by the methodologies outlined in the IPCC AR6 WGIII report, Section 12.3.1.
Implement an MRV plan, consistent with best practices for the chosen storage location, to detect unplanned physical leakage or reversals.
Disclose the use of CO₂ as a feedstock to produce any non-durable product or commodity.
Seek long-term monitoring solutions for storage (e.g. via regulatory take-over as envisioned by the European Union’s CCS Directive.
Durability
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use safe and durable geologic storage sites, where applicable, following established permitting processes (e.g., EPA Class VI permitting for deep injection wells in the United States or meet ISO 27914:2017 standard for CO₂ storage).
Demonstrate sufficient CO₂ storage capacity for the entire project lifetime, or sufficient physical CO₂ offtake with credible third-party providers.
Demonstrate sufficient injectivity at the storage site, including well count.
Demonstrate low CO₂ release risk, as estimated by the methodologies outlined in the IPCC AR6 WGIII report, Section 12.3.1.
Implement an MRV plan, consistent with best practices for the chosen storage location, to detect unplanned physical leakage or reversals.
Disclose the use of CO₂ as a feedstock to produce any non-durable product or commodity.
Seek long-term monitoring solutions for storage (e.g. via regulatory take-over as envisioned by the European Union’s CCS Directive.
Direct air capture
Leakage
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Demonstrate that any new energy needed for DAC operation does not extend or create new demand for emissions-intensive energy.
Leakage
Leakage
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Demonstrate that any new energy needed for DAC operation does not extend or create new demand for emissions-intensive energy.
Leakage
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Demonstrate that any new energy needed for DAC operation does not extend or create new demand for emissions-intensive energy.
Leakage
Direct air capture
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Demonstrate that any new energy needed for DAC operation does not extend or create new demand for emissions-intensive energy.
Direct air capture
Direct air capture
Direct air capture
Other considerations
Other considerations
Other considerations
Materials
Materials
Materials
Project developers must
Demonstrate that process inputs, including capture media, have low operational safety risk.
Project developers should
Use earth-abundant inputs, such as magnesium, calcium, silicates, sodium hydroxide, or other such inputs appropriate for a given process.
Produce, transport, store, and manage solvent and solvent degradation products with low risk to operators, neighboring communities, and the environment, when a project uses a solvent-based system.
Demonstrate the ability to synthesize sorbent at a scale of one metric tonne per year, or at a scale consistent with the project timeline, and present a viable strategy for sorbent recycling or disposal, when a project uses a sorbent-based system.
Provide a copy of permit applications or permits a project has received for air emissions, wastewater disposal, and solid waste disposal, if applicable.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Project developers should
Describe relevant transmission infrastructure, including new power lines, new utility lines, and CO2 transportation infrastructure such as pipelines, truck, barge, or rail.
Scalability
Scalability
Scalability
Project developers must
Present reasonable cost estimates, ideally verified by third parties, peer review, or demonstrated in prior projects.
Test and validate that thermal and electrical energy supply are consistent with thermodynamic energy requirements.
Demonstrate the capacity to manufacture or procure proposed design components and systems.
Ensure viable low-carbon energy supply at scale, ideally via evidence of contracted or captive energy supply.
Project developers should
Provide a document, with a block flow diagram, describing the process concept and location, including the role of any organizations involved in project development.
Successfully construct and operate prototypes that can achieve at least 1,000 hours of continuous stable operation at nameplate capacity to enable validation of LCA and TEA models, for first-of-a-kind DAC technology. Show a scaleup plan that moves from lab/bench applications to pilot to commercial sizing, which builds confidence in DAC feasibility and efficacy at scale.
Ensure vendors and subcontractors provide performance, schedule, and cost data for key DAC technologies.
Develop and implement a risk mitigation plan for scale up and deployment technology risks (e.g., technical and commercial readiness, project management structure, and supply chain bottlenecks).
Articulate project development aspects across a holistic technical, environmental, economical, commercial, organizational, and political (TEECOP) spectrum, providing clear and transparent plans showing the linkages of requirements and the actions planned to achieve each critical aspect.
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