The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) today announced an award of more than $50m as part of its Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs program to Project Cypress.
This first tranche of funding is for activities in the initial project phase, which is expected to take two to three years and includes planning, design, and community and labor engagement activities. OCED is working with Battelle to manage the project and with technology providers Climeworks Corporation and Heirloom Carbon Technologies, according to a news release.
Climeworks employs a solid sorbent capture and thermal regeneration technology, while Heirloom utilizes limestone to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) as it is repeatedly cycled through heating, hydration, and exposure to air. Project Cypress plans to transport the captured CO2 to a sequestration partner who has obtained a permit for permanent geological storage.
Project Cypress has pledged to carry out a set of community benefits commitments to maximize local community benefits and mitigate any potential impacts. These commitments include establishing a Community Engagement Council to solicit ongoing community input at every stage of the project, informing local communities on key project milestones, adhering to safety standards, minimizing impact on air and water quality, and providing good-paying jobs, workforce development opportunities, and training.
Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, the Regional DAC Hubs program will develop four DAC Hubs, each of which will demonstrate a DAC technology or suite of technologies at a commercial scale with the potential for capturing at least 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually from the atmosphere. In August 2023, as part of this program, OCED announced two projects selected for award negotiation, Project Cypress and the South Texas DAC Hub.
