Last year, in Hellisheiði, Iceland, the Swiss company Climeworks opened the biggest direct air capture plant in the world, calling it “Mammoth.” The plant is a large vacuum contraption that draws in air and extracts the carbon dioxide from it. The carbon dioxide is “concentrated and purified.” The compounds are then dissolved into water and transferred to rock formations underground. Mammoth is said to pull 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per year when operating at full capacity, and is able to do so through geothermal energy, Iceland’s gifted energy source.
On paper, this huge machine seems like a perfect solution to the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that contribute to global warming. However, some experts have pointed out the “uncertainties and ecological risks” tied to carbon capture technology, including potential ramifications on oceans involving the process of injecting carbonated water into the underground rock formations. Iceland has become a target site for underground carbon dioxide storage due to basalt rocks that are extremely porous — allowing for carbon storage. It is said that carbon dioxide forms solid carbonate minerals with the basaltic rock formations, thus making it safe after injection. However, since the beginning of Climeworks’ operations in May 2024, there have been few updates to the public about the establishment’s progress.
Although Mammoth may be assisting in the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it does nothing to halt initial emissions, which is the culprit of global warming. Companies should focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions by switching to clean energy sources and cutting back on oil extraction and combustion, a practice fraught with social and ecological ramifications.