Step inside the Mammoth, the world’s largest air purification system

Climate scientists have been talking once again this week about the worrying trend in rising temperatures that is not abating. April became the latest month to shatter records, marking an unprecedented 11-month streak, according to the European Union’s climate change monitoring service. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed that since June 2023, each successive month has clinched the title of the hottest on record compared to its historical counterparts. So could this latest man-made offering in Iceland help to offset the damage?

What is the Mammoth by Climeworks?

Handed the understandable name, the Mammoth, Swiss company Climeworks has unveiled the world’s largest operational direct air capture (DAC) plant. This gargantuan facility dwarfs its predecessors, boasting a capacity nearly ten times greater than the current record holder.

The idea, with UN scientists underscoring the importance, is to extract billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually to meet global climate objectives. Direct air capture (DAC) technology offers a potential solution with the CO2 captured subsequently being stored, typically underground.

The Mammoth DAC plant is capable of capturing a staggering 36,000 metric tons of CO2 each year, with completion slated by the end of 2024. For Climeworks, this marks their second commercial venture following the Orca plant, also situated in Iceland. Once the largest operational site, Orca now yields a fraction of Mammoth’s capacity, underscoring Climeworks’ commitment to monumental scalability. The ambitious targets set by the company is to hit megaton capacity by 2030 and gigaton by 2050.

Can Mammoth be part of the climate solution?

While the significance of DAC technology cannot be overstated, critics raise valid concerns regarding its economic viability. Detractors argue that the substantial costs associated with DAC could inadvertently disincentivize companies from prioritizing emissions reduction efforts. Nonetheless, Climeworks remains steadfast in its pursuit of cost reduction, aiming to slash expenses to $400-600 per ton by 2030 and $200-350 per ton by 2040.

And why Iceland? Well, despite the energy-intensive nature of DAC operations, Climeworks leverages Iceland’s abundant renewable geothermal power to sustain its facilities. Moreover, the company’s ambitious vision extends beyond Mammoth, as it forms part of a consortium selected for award negotiations under a U.S. program, with plans to construct a 1 million ton plant.

How are global temperatures changing?

With April’s scorching temperatures, the world’s average temperature for the past 12 months now stands as the highest on record, soaring 1.61 degrees Celsius (c.35 Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial average from 1850 to 1900. This relentless surge in temperatures has raised concerns among scientists, prompting investigations into whether human activities have triggered a critical tipping point in the climate system.

This inquiry gains urgency as extreme events, such as record-breaking sea surface temperatures, punctuate the ongoing climate crisis. As the global community grapples with the implications of this relentless heatwave, the need for concerted action to mitigate climate change becomes ever more pressing.

While technically, the 1.5°C target remains within reach, as it pertains to an average global temperature measured over decades, some scientists caution that achieving this goal is becoming increasingly improbable. Urging governments to accelerate their efforts in reducing CO2 emissions, these scientists emphasize the need to curb emissions swiftly to prevent overshooting the target. And some hopes lie in continued technological innovations playing a huge role, just like the Mammoth.