Carbon-Sucking Tech Could Need More Energy Than All Homes Use
- Direct air capture is a very energy-intensive climate tool
- World will likely need to trap CO2 to hit climate targets
Pods containing technology for underground carbon dioxide storage in Hellisheidi, Iceland.
Photographer: Arnaldur Halldorsson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Technology that sucks carbon emissions out of the air would need more energy than used to run the world’s homes if it’s to play a significant role in reaching global climate goals.
That’s according to a future energy scenario modeled by oil supermajor Shell Plc that includes direct air capture, which filters the gas out of the air so that it can be stored safely and permanently. It’s one of the two main ways to trap CO2 — along with capturing it before it leaves a smoke stack.