NETL has awarded and is currently managing 16 regional direct air capture (DAC) Hub projects throughout the country, putting into use the technologies developed by the Lab and partner organizations to address climate change.

Following the selection of 14 feasibility (TA-1) and 5 design (TA-2) phase DAC Hub projects by NETL and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) 2735 in August 2023, 13 TA-1 and 3 TA-2 projects have been successfully awarded while the others are in negotiations. The 16 awarded DAC Hub feasibility and design projects are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and have a combined total award value of more than $121 million (about $71 million in federal funds and about $50 million in cost share).

The proposed DAC Hub locations represent about a dozen states with a concentration across the Gulf Coast, Midwest, Four Corners (where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona meet) and Pacific Coast regions, representing a wide variety of climate conditions. 

Approximately twenty different DAC technology partners that have demonstrated their technologies at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or higher for TA-1 and TRL 5 or higher for TA-2 will support one or more of the DAC Hub projects using solvent, sorbent, electrochemical, and combined processes that employ a variety of amine-based, liquid alkaline, and solid oxide materials for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture in various contactor setups. Capture and regeneration techniques of the covered technologies span a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and other operating conditions. 

“These DAC Hubs are significant because they allow us to examine the effectiveness of not only different direct air capture technologies but also the potential for shared infrastructure and resources in different environments,” said Andrew Jones, technology manager of NETL’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Program. “For example, the conditions along the Gulf Coast of Texas and the industries there don’t mirror those found in Illinois or coastal Oregon.” 

The goal of the Regional DAC Hubs initiative is to responsibly catalyze a commercial DAC industry in the United States and establish the nation as the global leader in developing and demonstrating the commercial viability of this critical climate technology. The TA-1 feasibility phase projects will formulate their regional DAC Hub concept and team to conduct the relevant analysis, networking, and community stakeholder engagement necessary to complete an integrated DAC Hub preliminary front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) study and assess project viability. The TA-2 design phase projects will complete an integrated DAC Hub FEED study and advance permitting to prepare for detailed design and pre-construction activities. 

Additionally, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) awarded two build phase (TA-3) DAC Hub projects under FOA 2735. Build phase projects will engage in efforts on permitting, NEPA compliance, and detailed design before commencing procurement, DAC Hub construction, and operation. Both the TA-2 and TA-3 projects will also develop and implement Community Benefits Plans to engage with community stakeholders. Separately, OCED intends to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) entitled “Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs – Recurring Program” in the fourth quarter of 2024. The goal of this NOFO, along with potential subsequent re-openings and related solicitations, is to continue supporting commercialization of DAC solutions and the development of four Regional DAC Hubs.

DAC technologies use mechanical equipment and chemical or physical processes to separate and concentrate CO₂ directly from the ambient atmosphere. CO₂ captured with DAC can either be securely stored in geologic reservoirs or used as a feedstock to produce value-added products, including building materials and chemicals.

“Scaling up DAC will be vital for addressing hard-to-abate sources of emissions, such as those from aviation, as well as removing legacy emissions from the atmosphere all while maintaining and bolstering the U.S.’s manufacturing base,” said Grant Faber, direct air capture hubs program manager at the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.

The Carbon Dioxide Removal Program spans from applied research in novel materials and component systems to pilot-scale testing and front-end engineering and design studies to drive down both capital and operating costs in support of DOE’s Carbon Negative Shot.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.