Status
In operational ramp-up
From reality to scale-up: an order of magnitude closer to gigaton scale
On 28 June 2022, we broke ground on Climeworks’ second and newest commercial direct air capture and storage plant Mammoth in Iceland. Only 18 months later, the infrastructure of the plant has been successfully put in place, with 90% of the systems operational, including that of storage partner Carbfix.
Mammoth represents a demonstrable step in the company’s scale-up roadmap, moving Climeworks’ carbon removal capacity from thousands of tons to tens of thousands of tons per year – an important milestone on the way to megaton capacity by 2030 and gigaton by 2050.
The plant is designed for a nameplate capacity of up to 36,000 tons per year. The actual net removal will be lower, following Climeworks’ carbon removal production waterfall.
Date
May 2024
Goal
Providing engineering and operational experience for Climeworks’ 10x scale-up steps, further developing the supply chain, and bringing additional high-quality carbon removal capacity to the market
Location
Hellisheidi, Iceland
Design annual nameplate capture capacity
up to 36,000 tons of CO₂
Proof point of Climeworks’ modular technology design and high-quality carbon removal
Climeworks broke ground on Mammoth in June 2022. Only 18 months later, the core pieces of the plant are built. The rest of 2024 will be dedicated to completing the plant's buildout, adding the remaining 60 CO₂ collector containers, and ramping up its operations. This phased initiation underscores Climeworks' flagship modular technology design, facilitating the construction of plants of varying sizes.
With Mammoth, the company gains further field experience on a whole new level of scale. The engineering and operational learnings will inform Climeworks’ future scale-up steps – this is deployment-led innovation.
Mammoth also brings new high-quality carbon removal capacity to the market for Climeworks to provide to its customers. Like at Orca, Climeworks aims to third-party verify and certify the carbon removal performed at Mammoth and delivered to customers.
A word from our founders
Christoph Gebald, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks
Based on most successful scale-up curves, reaching gigaton by 2050 means delivering at megaton scale by 2030. Nobody ever built what we are building in DAC, and we are both humble and realistic that the most certain way to be successful is to run the technology in the real world as fast as possible and relentlessly deploy it.
Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks
Mammoth shows how Climeworks is championing DAC deployment. Since 2021, we have been operating our commercial DAC plant, Orca. Now its big brother is taking final shape: Mammoth represents not only a tenfold increase in carbon removal capacity but also a step change in project management, supply chain volume, and workforce requirements. Having the core infrastructure in place and operational within just 18 months is a proof point of Climeworks’ ability to scale up quickly, with extremely fast development cycles, on its path to gigaton capacity by 2050. This milestone has been achieved only thanks to the Climeworkers who worked relentlessly in Iceland throughout the past months. Amidst harsh winter conditions, they commissioned the plant’s systems in record time, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved.
Overview of Mammoth’s progress over the past 18 months
Mammoth has made steady progress over the past months. Here’s a summary of some of the highlights:
Groundbreaking on Climeworks newest facility has started
Climeworks breaks ground in Iceland to build its newest and largest direct air capture and storage facility, called Mammoth.
Mammoth: a glimpse into the most advanced DAC+S facility
The site where Climeworks’ new and largest DAC+S plant Mammoth will be located is progressing well.
Mammoth: manufacturing direct air capture plants at new scales
The construction of Mammoth is well underway,, 2023 kicked off with the start of the CO₂ collector container production.
Climeworks switches on world’s largest direct air capture plant
Climeworks starts operations of its to-date largest direct air capture and storage plant, Mammoth, in Iceland
Mammoth: construction update for Carbfix on-site storage of CO₂
Preparations for in-situ CO₂ storage are underway: Now that the Icelandic winter has passed, we’re pleased to share that a key piece of the facility is about to be completed.
Mammoth: innovating the DAC+S process with a CO₂ absorption tower
Mammoth, Climeworks' DAC+S plant currently under construction, is making steady progress in Iceland with a CO₂ absorption tower developed by Carbfix.
Climeworks' Mammoth taking final shape in Iceland
The core infrastructure of Climeworks' newest and largest direct air capture plant is in place
Our plants
2017
Arctic Fox Our first facility in Iceland marked the beginning of permanent and safe carbon dioxide removal via direct air capture.
2022
On 28 June 2022, we announced the groundbreaking of Climeworks’ second, newest and largest direct air capture and storage plant, Mammoth.
2024
Located in Iceland, Mammoth is Climeworks' second commercial DAC+S plant and it is about ten times bigger than its predecessor plant, Orca.
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