Direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ has gained attention as a sustainable carbon source. One of the most promising technologies currently available is liquid solvent DAC (L-DAC), but the significant fraction of fossil CO₂ in the output stream hinders its utilization in carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals. Fossil CO₂ is generated and captured during the combustion of fuels to calcine carbonates, which is difficult to decarbonize due to the high temperatures required. Solar thermal energy can provide green high-temperature heat, but it flourishes in arid regions where environmental conditions are typically unfavorable for L-DAC. This study proposes a solar-powered L-DAC approach and develops a model to assess the influence of the location and plant capacity on capture costs. The performed life cycle assessment enables the comparison of technologies based on net CO₂ removal, demonstrating that solar-powered L-DAC is not only more environmentally friendly but also more cost-effective than conventional L-DAC.

Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic CO₂ to the atmosphere and newly created anthropogenic sinks. This backcasting study presents a fictional future in which this goal was achieved by avoiding (∼645 Mt CO₂), reducing (∼50 Mt CO₂) and removing (∼60 Mt CO₂) carbon emissions. This meant substantial transformation of the energy system, increasing energy efficiency, sector coupling, and electrification, energy storage solutions including synthetic energy carriers, sector‐specific solutions for industry, transport, and agriculture, as well as natural‐sink enhancement and technological carbon dioxide options. All of the above was necessary to achieve a net‐zero CO₂ system for Germany by 2050.

Non-abatable emissions are one of the decarbonization challenges that could be addressed with carbon-neutral fuels. One promising production pathway is the direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide, followed by a solar thermochemical cycle and liquid fuel synthesis. In this study, we explore different combinations of these technologies to produce methanol from an economic perspective in order to determine the most efficient one. For this purpose, a model is built and simulated in Aspen Plus^®, and a solar field is designed and sized with HFLCAL^®. The inherent dynamics of solar irradiation were considered with the meteorological data from Meteonorm^® at the chosen location (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Four different integration strategies are assessed by determining the minimum selling price of methanol for each technology combination. These values were compared against a baseline with no synergies between the DAC and the solar fuels production. The results show that the most economical methanol is produced with a central low-temperature DAC unit that consumes the low-quality waste heat of the downstream process. Additionally, it is determined with a sensitivity analysis that the optimal annual production of methanol is 11.8 kt/y for a solar field with a design thermal output of 280 MW.

Methanol is an example of a valuable chemical that can be produced from water and carbon dioxide through a chemical process that is fully powered by concentrated solar thermal energy and involves three steps: direct air capture (DAC), thermochemical splitting and methanol synthesis. In the present work, we consider the whole value chain from the harvesting of raw materials to the final product. We also identify synergies between the aforementioned steps and collect them in five possible scenarios aimed to reduce the specific energy consumption. To assess the scenarios, we combined data from low and high temperature DAC with an Aspen Plus^® model of a plant that includes water and carbon dioxide splitting units via thermochemical cycles (TCC), CO/CO₂ separation, storage and methanol synthesis. We paid special attention to the energy required for the generation of low oxygen partial pressures in the reduction step of the TCC, as well as the overall water consumption. Results show that suggested synergies, in particular, co-generation, are effective and can lead to solar-to-fuel efficiencies up to 10.2% (compared to the 8.8% baseline). In addition, we appoint vacuum as the most adequate strategy for obtaining low oxygen partial pressures.

Purpose of Review: This review aims to summarize the different energy sources that have been proposed to power direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂, to assess their maturity and to suggest overlooked concepts. Recent Findings: Among the concepts based on renewable energy, the authors found that concentrated solar thermal (CST) technologies have been largely overlooked, even though they are the most cost-effective source of renewable dispatchable heat.