Keeling Curve

Primary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

Climeworks‚ Founders Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald met in October 2003 on the first day of their Mechanical Engineering studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and discovered they shared the vision of starting their own company. In 2007 towards the end of their studies they realized that capturing CO2 from air could have the biggest impact on reversing climate change. They identified a research program at ETH Zurich and began whole-heartedly researching Direct Air Capture (DAC).

During the 2007/2008 winter season, Jan & Christoph spent time living in Chamonix, France, following their passion for off-piste skiing and mountaineering and studying for their final exams at ETH Zurich. Whilst spending time in the breathtaking glacial landscape of the Western Alps, they experienced first-hand the effect climate change is having on our planet. As the months went by, the glacier continued to recede before their very eyes. This experience confirmed their desire to help reverse climate change as best they could.

In 2009 Climeworks was founded with the purpose of capturing CO2 from air. We have since grown Climeworks to be the largest company in the field of DAC in the world (over fifty employees) and have fourteen industrial DAC plants in operation and in construction. The Washington Post recently named Climeworks as the global trendsetter in the field of DAC: proof that we are on track to build a global company capturing CO2 from air.

Regions of Operations:

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Sub-Categories:

Mission Statement:

Climeworks captures CO2 from ambient air with the world‚ first commercial carbon dioxide removal technology.
Our direct air capture plants capture CO2 with a filter, using mainly low-grade heat as an energy source. They are modular, scalable and can be mass-produced, enabling deployment on a large scale.

The pure CO2 gas is sold to our customers in key markets, including commercial agriculture, food and beverage industries, the energy sector and the automotive industry. Customers utilize this atmospheric CO2 in carbonated drinks or to produce carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels and materials. Using Climeworks CO2, customers can lower their dependence on fossil energy, thus reducing their overall emissions.
Additionally, we enable our customers to realize their climate goals by reversing their emissions and safely storing the captured CO2. Such permanent carbon dioxide removal is vital in the quest to limit a global temperature rise of below 2¬∞C.

Compared to other carbon dioxide removal technologies, our direct air capture technology has a small physical footprint, is fully scalable and does not depend on arable land. Consequently, it is considered by scientists and customers as a no-regrets approach to reversing climate change.