The Largest CO2 Vacuum Factory in the World Operates in Iceland
In Iceland, the Orca plant extracts CO2 from the air, mixes it with water and then buries it underground.
Air pollution is a threat to all species sharing life on this planet; it affects the environment in many different ways. The pollution reduces the availability of oxygen to the seas, makes plant production difficult, and leads to climate change.
This is why scientists have come up with direct air capture, which helps reduce air pollution and aids in limiting global warming.
Direct air capture is currently an expensive new technique but hopes that the price will drop as it spreads. According to the International Energy Agency (IAE), global emissions last year were 31.5 billion tons.
The Orca plant in Iceland is named after the Icelandic word for energy and consists of eight huge containers that remove carbon dioxide using filters and fans. The CO2 is then combined with water and pumped underground, where it gradually transforms into rock.
According to the IAE, 15 plants are now generated worldwide and capture over 9000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
The factory in Iceland is a collaboration between Climeworks AG and the Icelandic Carbfix business in Switzerland.